Buckinghamshire Council warn of fake Aylesbury Coronavirus vaccine scam

Opportunist criminals are looking to take advantage of Aylesbury Vale residents over a fake Coronavirus vaccination scam.

The Neighbourhood watch said:

"We have been advised about a new scam that is doing the rounds, but looks very believable and therefore highly dangerous.

"I starts with a text, seemingly from the NHS saying that they are now eligible to apply for the new vaccine and to click on the link to apply.

"The link takes you to a website, which looks genuine and asks the user to complete a form asking for the following information.

Name

Date of Birth

Address

Payment card details

Proof of address

"As you can see from the above, this should automatically ring alarm bells, as we all know, the vaccine is FREE."

They have asked residents to please follow this advice:

Do NOT click on links in unknown texts - always check it first

NEVER give out your personal details.

With the recent approval of multiple vaccines in the UK, these types of scam attempts are likely to continue as fraudsters look to take advantage of the rollout to so many people.

Cold calls regarding the vaccine are also beginning to take place – we’ve already had reports of scammers asking people to pay for it over the phone. If you receive one of these calls, hang up.

The Neighbourhood Watch Network said they had "Raised an example of one of the many scams that people are currently on the receiving end of.

"Please don't be fooled, the NHS and Government are NOT charging you for the Covid-19 vaccine and will NEVER ask for payment details to secure your chance of getting it."

You can help protect others by reporting incidents like this.

If you, or anyone you know, have been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 1232040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.ukhttp://www.actionfraud.police.uk