Warning over fake jab fraudsters

THE public are being warned by doctors and police not to fall for fraudsters trying to sell fake coronavirus vaccines, affirming that the jab will always be free.

Reports to Action Fraud have been rising in the last two months, particularly around scam text messages, as con artists seek to gain from the pandemic.

City of London Police are investigating one case in which a man knocked on the door of a 92-year-old woman and administered a fake vaccine before charging £160 and claiming it would be reimbursed by the NHS.

Suspicious text messages reported by members of the public urge people to click a link to a bogus booking site which mimics an NHS page, asking for personal details such as bank account numbers.

Con artists have also been known to use telephone calls to extract payments.

“Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic,” said Health Secretary Matt Hancock.