The National Health Service (NHS) has issued a widespread warning after it revealed a text-based scam that attempts to fraudulently steal people's bank details.
As of April 1, free Coronavirus test kits were scrapped for the majority of England - meaning that people have to buy them from high-street retailers unless they match a strict profiling criteria.
And since the Government changed the rules regarding testing, scammers have used the opportunity to attempt to pray on the most vulnerable, by sending out fake text messages containing dangerous links.
The Liverpool Echo reports that the latest trending scam tells people that they have been in contact with a Covid carrier, before directing them to a fake NHS website were they can 'purchase a test'. However, unfortunate parties who have fell for this bogus message have parted ways with financial and personal details to never receive said tests.
The NHS tweeted: "We've seen reports of fake NHS text messages about ordering Omicron COVID-19 test kits. We never ask for bank details, so please be aware of suspicious messages."
Rachel Jones, the CEO of SnapDragon Monitoring, added: “This latest Covid scam seems to hijack on the fact that the Government’s free testing scheme has stopped, so when people are asked to pay for a test it seems legitimate. These types of text and domain spoofing scams are rife today and they are earning fraudsters millions every year.
"Anyone who receives this kind of text message – whether purportedly from the NHS, Royal Mail, HMRC or anyone else seeking to gain sensitive information and particularly bank details - should never click on the link. Ignore it and delete it.”
If you've received a suspicious text message, most phone providers are part of a scheme that allows customers to report them for free by forwarding it to 7726. If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender if it’s found to be malicious.
If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, you should forward it to: report@phishing.gov.uk.
