Gloria takes on ‘shocking’ vaccination scammers

CHAMPION: Gloria Hunniford

RIP Off Britain host Gloria Hunniford says she’s never seen anything as shocking as scammers preying on vulnerable people waiting for the vaccine.

In a new live series of the consumer show, Gloria will highlight the criminals targeting those waiting for jabs as well as give advice on how best to keep safe and to stop others from falling into the same trap.

She said: “They know how the majority of people are desperate to get it and it’s shocking and terrible the way the elderly are being targeted the most.

“A lot of these people maybe have dementia.

“The problem is that people in general are so keen to get the vaccine that you can understand how particularly the elderly get taken for a ride.

“But what we are saying in Rip Off Britain Live is that nobody will ever turn up at your door unannounced to give you the vaccine and nobody will ever ask you for money.”

Gloria, who turns 81 in April and is pre-diabetic, is still waiting for the jab where she lives in Kent, and has not been given a date.

“I am desperate to get the vaccine now but I have to wait like everybody else,” she said.

“I need to be patient. I am so looking forward to it and I check the post box every day. I am not worried about having the vaccine and I know it will give me vital protection against the virus and I am in no doubt that it will be effective, safe and that it’s of high quality.”

For Gloria, the other issue that she finds has hit people the hardest is HMRC Covid-19 tax scams.

She said: “The scammers are very clever because they can reproduce a piece of paper and an email or a text which looks absolutely legitimate.”

Rip Off Britain Live is on BBC One tomorrow at 9.15am