FIRST AFTER MANY OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED SCAM COVID EMAILS AND TEXTS – WE HAVE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING UPDATE FROM THE NHS.
Many of you have sent these in to us. This is an easy guide to the current process, so that you can tell the difference.
Hi Jeff
Thanks for getting in touch. Our public message is:
When it is the right time, people will receive an invitation to come forward. For most people, this will be in the form of a phone call or text from their GP, or a letter from the National Booking System; this will include all the information they need, including their NHS number.
We know lots of people will be eager to get protected, but we are asking people not to contact the NHS to get an appointment, until they get their letter.
The NHS will not contact you by email and the vaccine is free of cost. If you are worried about a potential scam, please click here for more information.
https://www.frimleyhealthandcare.org.uk/news/posts/2021/january/covid-19-vaccination-scam-alert/We are aware that some people are receiving fraudulent calls and text messages, offering the COVID-19 vaccination. In some cases, people are asked to press a number on their keypad, or to send a text message to confirm they wish to receive the vaccine. Doing so is likely to result in a charge being applied to their phone bill. In other cases, callers are offering the vaccine for a fee, or asking for bank details.
People are warned to be alert to these scams.
The vaccine is only available from the NHS and the NHS will contact you when it is your turn. At present, appointments are only being offered to the public over 70 years old.
The NHS will NEVER ask you to press a button on your keypad, or send a text to confirm you want the vaccine, and NEVER ask for payment or for your bank details.
If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or identity theft you should report this directly to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Where the victim is vulnerable, report it to the Police, online or by calling 101.
Sabahat Turk Hassan
Senior Social Marketing and Communications Manager
Frimley Collaborative and Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System
Email:
Sabahat.hassan@nhs.net Address: King Edward VII Hospital, St Leonard’s Rd, Windsor, SL4 3DP
SO - NEITHER THE NHS BOOKING SYSTEM, NOR YOUR DOCTOR’S SURGERY, WILL EVER ASK YOU FOR ANY FINANCIAL INFORMATION, SUCH AS YOUR BANK DETAILS. THE WHOLE PROCESS IS TOTALLY FREE.
IF YOU SEE A HINT THAT THERE IS A CHARGE FOR THIS PROCESS – IT IS A SCAM.
NEXT: SORRY TO REPORT – YET ANOTHER SEXTORTION. IF WE ARE RECEIVING THIS NUMBER OF REPORTS – THERE MUST REALLY BE DOZENS HAPPENING OUT THERE – WHERE PEOPLE ARE TOO FRIGHTENED TO REPORT THEM.
IF YOU ARE A VICTIM – PLEASE REPORT IT TO US – WE AHANDLE ALL THESE ISSUES WITH THE UTMOST DISCRETION AND WITHOUT ANY JUDGEMENT. WE ARE HERE TO HELP AND SUPPORT YOU:
A you man was contacted via Facebook Messenger, by a blonde young woman, who said she found him very attractive. After some brief conversations, she suggested they move to a different platform to chat further. When they made contact again, she had removed her clothes and suggested the young man do likewise – which he did. She never spoke in the videos. All her dialogue was typed. She then suggested the young man become intimate with himself and again he complied.
The next day, he started to receive demands for money, or a video would be sent to all his online contacts. He sent £500. He then received yet another demand and sent £200. That was not sufficient and he received yet more demands, but he had no money left and reported it to the police. He is still fearful, the video will be sent to his contacts. The money was sent to an account in the Philippines.
THIS YOUNG MAN IS TOTALLY DISTRAUGHT BY WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WORRIES ALL THE TIME THAT THEY WILL POST THE VIDEO.
YET AGAIN – PLEASE – PLEASE – PLEASE – DO NOT DO, SAY, WRITE, PHOTOGRAPH ANYTHING ONLINE, OR IN A TEXT THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE HAPPY FOR YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS, WORK COLLEAGUES – AND EMPLOYERS – TO SEE, HEAR AND READ !!!
THE IMPLICATIONS ARE INDEFINITE IF THESE PEOPLE HAVE COMPROMISING VIDEOS THEY COULD USE AT ANY TIME.
CRIME
I have attached reference numbers to each crime report. If you live in the vicinity of any of the crimes mentioned and have CCTV or a video doorbell, can you please check the footage. If you have any that might be of interest to the police, can you please make contact with us, quoting reference number given.
I have added a new email address below. The first email address is directly to your local Neighbourhood Team. The second is to our investigation team. Please use it to send any intelligence / video doorbell / CCTV footage you may have, which is relevant to any of the crimes lists below - quoting the reference number.
Alternatively you can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or email -
www.crimestoppers-uk.orgMAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk3/2 Wednesday 9 a.m. Supermarket Car Park, St. Cloud Way. VAN ENTERED BY UNKNOWN MEANS - the side door was left open – nothing stolen. Ref. No: 43210046371
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
1/2 Monday 11.05 p.m. Emilia Close. The owner has doorbell video footage of a man walking along trying car door handles. He then tried the handle of their car – which was locked. He must have been disturbed as he then runs away. He is described as thin, wearing a hoody, jeans and black trainers. The aggrieved says he stumbled away, rather than ran. Ref. No: 43210044353
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
2/2 Tuesday 9 p.m. Bottle Lane, Littlewick Green. Attempted theft of a car. Witnesses heard noises from their neighbour’s property. Their car had a window smashed and had been dragged from behind the gate onto a grass verge and left. Ref. No: 43210045899
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
MEMBERS’ COMMENTS:
Morning Jeff,
Just to let you know my husband received a call on his mobile yesterday.
The caller said they had a missed call from his number, but my husband’s phone was in the lounge all afternoon and he didn’t ring anyone.
My husband said the missed call wasn’t from him. The caller repeated the mobile number to him and then asked for his name !
My husband immediately hung up.
The call did come from a private number.
Kind Regards
Suzanne
Many thanks Suzanne – all very suspicious, but it does happen. Who knows what it was about. Personally, I only answer calls on my mobile, from my known contacts, who show up on the screen. If I get a strange call, I look at the number. The phone software is quite good and often displays the message – this may be a scam call !!
NEXT: What can we do about these scams
Good morning Jeff,
I wonder if you can help? With all the phishing / scam emails being received at present, is there a simple but effective way, we as the public, can help the Police to catch these people and stop them from trying to steal, or hold our computers to ransom?
I have received a delivery scam email today, stating they tried to deliver a package - could I click on a Link to re-schedule delivery.
The contact email address given, was not even mine.
I would really like to catch these idiots and teach them a lesson.
Thanks very much.
Alan
Unfortunately not !
The email addresses are randomly created by banks of computers – just millions of random sets of letters, numbers and symbols. The old infinite number of monkeys typing, will eventually reproduce a Shakespeare play ! Occasionally out of the millions produced and sent out, a real, or live email emerges.
No-one is personally targeted. The scammer does not know or follow you – it is not personal. It is purely random. Hence the advice to make passwords as complicated as possible. The more simple it is, the more easily it will be reproduced by computers, in the millions of sets generated
The only recourse is to forward the email to the companies scam department – they all have them and they are advertised on their websites. They then follow it up and try to block them.
Most scams come from abroad and are therefore out of the UK jurisdiction.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO FIND THE SCAM DEPARTMENT OF THE COMPANY – JUST BIN THEM. MARK THEM AS SCAM.
NEXT THE OLD TV LICENSING SCAM IS OUT THERE STILL:
Hi Jeff
I’ve just received an email which I know is a scam from the TV licensing people and thought you might like to update on your NBW weekly email.
It says that my standing order payment has not been authorised by the bank and they have therefore suspended the license. I must update my bank details as soon as possible – BY CLICKING ON THE LINK – which is easy and simple !
I have deleted the email !
Thanks for all your hard work and updates, still can’t believe the number of people that still fall for these things .
Regards Nicki
Thanks Nicki, these emails go out by the hundreds of thousands and as we have said before – they cost nothing to send – so a 1% return, will be well worth the scammers effort !
NEXT: A bank scam
Hi Jeff
I've just received a text message on my mobile, supposedly from my bank.
It asks if I was the person who just charged an item to the bank account. Please click on the Link to cancel the payment if it was not me !!!
I don't bank with HSBC, so I rang the mobile number from my house phone (it would show up on their phone as 'number withheld') which didn't answer.
Then I looked up the website, which does not to exist.
Perhaps others might find it interesting.
Keep up the good work.
Ann
Thanks Ann – as always when you get one of these – it is not always so easy to tell if in fact it comes from the company you do bank with:
BREATHE - PAUSE – THINK – BIN IT !
NEXT A WHAT’S APP SCAM:
Hi Jeff
I hadn't come upon this one before.
This morning, I had two ‘what's app’ messages in quick succession. The first from What's App itself, telling me that they had been asked for a code for my number.
The second, from a completely unknown number - with a +61 prefix (Australia), in very poor English, asking me to forward the code immediately.
Of course I didn't and blocked the number.
I've now set up two-step verification on What's App (you will find it in ‘settings’, ‘account’), to prevent any further attempts.
It was really easy to do and maybe worth passing on.
Regards
Gill
Thanks Gill – if you use Whats App – can you do that please
It would help if all platforms made it that easy !
NEXT: A SCAM TEXT OFFERING ACCESS TO THE COVID 19 SUPPORT GRANT
Dear Jeffrey,
I get your neighbourhood watch updates by email.
I thought you might like to look into this suspicious text message I received to my mobile phone this morning.
It even shows the senders phone number.
I didn’t click on the link or respond in any way.
Kind regards,
Caroline
It was a text saying that Caroline – due to the lockdown – is eligible for the Covid 19 Support Grant. Please click on the link to complete an application form.
BREATHE – PAUSE – DON’T DO IT !
