Updated
Thursday, 7th January 2021, 4:37 pm
Heartless scammers are now using the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to trick people into giving away their financial information.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has warned that text message scams about Covid vaccinations are being reported, which include links to fake NHS websites that ask for bank details.
Messages were first reported at the end of December on the Western Isles, but similar scams have also been reported in Edinburgh, where forms ask for details from recipients’ bank cards to ‘verify their identity’.
It can only be a matter of time before Borderers are targeted in this way.
Beware of Covid vaccine scams By David G Scott
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Updated: 14:02, 06 January 2021
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Messages were first reported at the end of December on the Western Isles.
Cyber criminals are preying on online users during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Similar scams have also been reported in Edinburgh, where forms ask for details from recipientsâ bank cards to verify their identity .
Colin Mathieson, spokesperson for Advice Direct Scotland, which runs Scotlandâs national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, said: âSadly, this is not the first instance that unscrupulous fraudsters have looked to exploit this public health crisis in an attempt to steal personal information and bank details.
Consumer Advice Scotland provides advice to consumers on nuisance calls. A NUISANCE calls campaign has been launched to stop people falling victim to scams over the festive period. Advice Direct Scotland, who run Scotland’s national consumer advice helpline, has launched the “Stop Scam Calls” campaign. They are encouraging people to activate the call blocker feature that comes free of charge with packages from BT, Sky, TalkTalk. Most call blockers come free of charge and customers should not have to pay extra for the cover. The packages can block out numbers from abroad, withheld numbers and others that have been identified as suspicious.
Advice on blocking phone scammers By David G Scott
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Updated: 11:01, 21 December 2020
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With numerous people in Caithness falling foul of scammers, a new campaign will highlight how nuisance calls can often be blocked using features available on existing telephone contracts.
Advice Direct Scotland (ADS), which runs Scotland s national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, is launching the appeal to householders in an effort to reduce the number of those who fall victim to scam callers over Christmas.
ADS spokesman Colin Mathieson said: âFor some people nuisance calls can be exactly that â but for more vulnerable individuals they can be extremely upsetting and lead to falling victim to fraud.
How to block nuisance callers this Christmas using your existing phone package
The ‘Stop Scam Calls’ campaign is encouraging consumers not to suffer in silence over the festive season.
Many existing phone packages can be used to activate number blocking services (Image: Getty)
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