Latest from Kent Police Fraud Office
Published: 01 February 2021
Investment Scams
Kent Fraud Alert System have issued a newsletter that details of a 9 minute presentation on investment fraud, which is on the Fraud Safety Channel. The presentation offers advice to help you avoid investing your money in a scam. You can additionally subscribe to receive regular updates and inputs on other types of fraud and all this is free.
Vaccine Scams
Also in the newsletter are details and a few examples of the fake coronavirus vaccination emails that Kent Police are seeing. If you receive an email, text message or phone call purporting to be from the NHS and you are asked to provide financial details, or pay for the vaccine, this is a scam.
If you are not sure if an email or letter is genuine, then contact your GP to confirm or if you receive a call supposedly from the NHS/GP and you are still not sure, then ring them back via a Trusted number using a different phone to the one which you were rung on or if you do not have another phone to hand, then ring a family member or friend to ensure that your line has been cleared.
“The bottom line though is that the NHS will never ask for payment or bank details for the vaccine.”
If you believe that you may have fallen victim to this type of scam, then please contact you Bank immediately and then report to Action Fraud as soon as possible by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk
Resurgence of HMRC scams
As we get closer to the end of the financial year and with us all in the continuing lock down, fraudsters will look to take advantage of the situation by sending out emails, texts and phone calls promising Tax refunds and requesting your financial details or with threats that you owe tax and will be arrested.
HMRC will never send you an email or text requesting you click on a link or call you to say you need to pay a fine and that you need to pay by Gift Cards. Beware of requests to also pay fines directly by Bank Transfer, as these are scams. Never send copies of passports or other identity documents as these can be used by the fraudsters for identity theft. Always protect your personal data.