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 –…
