Coronavirus fraud alert

Fraudsters are notoriously opportunistic, and many are using the upheaval caused by the Coronavirus to create convincing scams.

Scammers are calling home phones and sending text messages to mobile phones, which contain misinformation or could leave you out of pocket if you fall victim. Some calls and texts claim to be from the Government, your GP’s surgery, the NHS, or even the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In the calls, a recorded message or caller will claim to be contacting you about the coronavirus. They might offer a test for the virus, a treatment or cure, or might offer to discuss your medical or shopping needs.

These calls are designed to encourage you to either speak to an operator, or press a button on your phone for more information.

• If you speak to an operator, you could be at risk of giving them your personal information or your financial details, which could result in identity theft or financial loss.
• If you press a button on your phone you could be connected to a high-cost premium number, leaving you liable for a significant call cost.

If at any point you don’t know if a call is genuine, the best thing to do is hang up. If you think one of these calls or texts might be genuine – from your GP for example – you can call your GP’s surgery separately to check whether they have tried to contact you.

Meanwhile, scam texts often include links or attachments which can’t be trusted. Don’t click on them. 

Further COVID-19 scams identified include:

Doorstep crime

Criminals targeting older people on their doorstep and offering to do their shopping. Thieves take the money and do not return.

Doorstep cleansing services that offer to clean drives and doorways to kill bacteria and help prevent the spread of the virus.

Online scams

Email scams that trick people into opening malicious attachments, which put people at risk of identity theft with personal information, passwords, contacts and bank details at risk. Some of these emails have lured people to click on attachments by offering information about people in the local area who are affected by coronavirus.

Fake online resources – such as false Coronavirus Maps – that deliver malware, an information stealing program which can infiltrate a variety of sensitive data.

Refund scams

Companies offering fake holiday refunds for individuals who have been forced to cancel their trips. People seeking refunds should also be wary of fake websites set up to claim holiday refunds.

Counterfeit goods

Fake sanitisers, face masks and Covid19 swabbing kits sold online and door-to-door. These products can often be dangerous and unsafe.

Donation scams

There have been reports of thieves extorting money from consumers by claiming they are collecting donations for a COVID-19 ‘vaccine’.

In any case, the best was to protect yourself from fraud is to take a moment to consider the offer. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. While many communities are coming together to genuinely offer support at this time, it is important to stay vigilant.

If you are concerned about Coronavirus related fraud- you can find out more on Gov.uk here