Warnings over NHS coronavirus vaccine scam email

Images of scam emails and text messages purporting to be from the NHS about the coronavirus vaccine which asks recipients to enter their bank details have been shared on Twitter and Facebook. Our readers have also asked us to check this.

This is a real scam that members of the public should be aware of. The real vaccine is free and the NHS will never ask for your financial details in order to receive it.

Screenshots of the message shared on social media show that it has realistic NHS test and trace branding, and tells the recipient they have been selected to receive the coronavirus vaccine “on the basis of family genetics and medical history”. 

Recipients are then asked to click a link to accept the invitation. Action Fraud said this link takes them to an online form, which in some cases looks very similar to the real NHS website, where they are told to input personal and financial details

Pauline Smith, head of Action Fraud, said: “Remember, the vaccine is only available on the NHS and is free of charge. The NHS will never ask you for details about your bank account or to pay for the vaccine. 

“If you receive an email, text message or phone call purporting to be from the NHS and you are asked to provide financial details, this is a scam.”

In the UK, the coronavirus vaccine is only available from the NHS and always free of charge. The NHS has said it will never ask for bank account or card details, PIN numbers or banking passwords, and will never arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine. You will never be asked to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as passports, driving licenses, bills or pay slips.

You can forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, and suspicious text messages to the free number 7726.

If you believe you are the victim of a fraud, you can report this to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.