Make sure Track and Trace call is genuine to avoid being scammed
People who are contacted by the NHS through the new Track and Trace service to stem the spread of coronavirus are advised to check that the call is genuine.
The health service asks for the same personal details that scammers would request to cheat people out of their money.
Track and Trace is designed to identify people who may have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
In England, contact is made by text or phone, but in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, the NHS will currently only make a phone call.
If you have taken a test and the result is positive, you will be contacted within 72 hours. Anyone who hasn’t taken a test and gets a phone call to say they have tested positive runs the risk of being scammed.
If you live in England you may receive an email or text - genuine messages will not ask for personal details. You will receive an ID number to log into the NHS England Test and Trace website at: contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk
Make sure the URL matches the official one.
On the site you will be asked some personal information including: Current address Name, date of birth Names of those you live with
Places you’ve recently visited
Contact details of people you were in touch with around 48 hours before you developed symptoms
Anyone having issues getting onto the website will be asked to share these details over the phone. In Northern
Ireland, Scotland and Wales providing these details on the phone is the only method.
You should beware of any apps claiming to aid contact tracing, as there are no official ones currently operating in the UK.
If you’re contacted to be told that you’ve been in close proximity to a positive case, you will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days and advised on the symptoms to look out for.
You won’t be asked for any personal details, payment details or details of anyone you’ve been in contact with.
In both cases, calls and texts will come from the NHS number: 0300 013 5000.
Calls from numbers other than this, or calls without a caller ID are not genuine so if you do receive any make sure to keep your personal details secret.