Cheshire Police have warned people to remain alert for scams during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
They warned of a growing trend of criminals taking advantage of the current Covid-19 crisis to defraud innocent people, including the new NHS Test and Trace service.
The NHS Test and Trace service has been introduced to allow the NHS to trace the spread of the virus, isolate new infections and give early warning if the virus is increasing again.
However, it’s feared scammers are now making phone calls, sending texts and emails pretending to be from NHS Test and Trace in order to obtain your personal details.
Police have issued advice on how to identify a genuine contact tracer from a scammer.
Genuine NHS contact tracers will:
-call you from 0300 013 5000
-send you text messages from ‘NHS’
-ask you to sign into the NHS test and trace contact-tracing website
-ask for your full name and date of birth to confirm your identity, and postcode to offer support while self-isolating
-ask about the coronavirus symptoms you have been experiencing
-ask you to provide the name, telephone number and/or email address of anyone you have had close contact with in the two days prior to your symptoms starting-ask if anyone you have been in contact with is under 18 or lives outside of England.
Contact tracers will never:
-ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to them (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
-ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product of any kind
-ask for any details about your bank account
-ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
-ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
-disclose any of your personal or medical information to your contacts
-provide medical advice on the treatment of any potential coronavirus symptoms
-ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
-ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS
If you or somebody you know has been caught out by a scam or fraud, contact Cheshire Constabulary specialist officers Linda or Sue on 0151 5118785 or 0151 5118775.
If you need advice on anything else, please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline or 08082231133.
For further information relating to NHS Test and Trace, visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-for-coronavirus/
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