Beware of Covid-19 passport fraudsters

A COVID-19 vaccine passport scam which aims to trick people into handing over their personal banking details has emerged.

Neighbourhood Watch has issued an appeal for people to be vigilant and not fall for the con.

Vaccine passports have become a key part of life in the UK as coronavirus restrictions, including those affecting travel, start to ease.

As a result, scammers are taking advantage of the situation as more people go online to obtain vaccine passports via the NHS app.

Covid passports could be used to prove that you have received the vaccine and potentially will be useful in preventing the spread of the virus as people travel or attend events.

The scam warning comes as fraudsters have created an email which pretends to be from the NHS and which asks people to apply for their “Digital Coronavirus Passports”.

When recipients click the link, they are taken to a convincing but fake “NHS website” where the scammers try to obtain personal details.

The website asks victims to enter their card details for an administration fee, which is not required for genuine Covid passports.

Neighbourhood Watch has released a statement urging people to spread the word to help avoid more people from being conned, and reiterates Covid-19 vaccination status is obtained for free through the NHS App, website or by calling 119. ■■Phishing scams be reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service via email at: