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Please remain vigilant! 

Covid-19 scams identified include:

Doorstep crime

• Criminals targeting older people on their doorstep and offering to do their shopping. Thieves take the money and do not return.
• Doorstep cleansing services that offer to clean drives and doorways to kill bacteria and help prevent the spread of the virus.

• Companies offering fake holiday refunds for individuals who have been forced to cancel their trips. People seeking refunds should also be wary of fake websites set up to claim holiday refunds.

Counterfeit goods

• Fake sanitisers, face masks and Covid19 swabbing kits sold online and door-to-door. These products can often be dangerous and unsafe. There are reports of some potentially harmful hand sanitiser containing glutaral (or glutaraldehyde), which was banned for human use in 2014.

 Telephone scams

• As more people self-isolate at home there is an increasing risk that telephone scams will also rise, including criminals claiming to be your bank, mortgage lender or utility company.

 Donation scams

• There have been reports of thieves extorting money from consumers by claiming they are collecting donations for a COVID-19 ‘vaccine’.

 Loan sharks

• Illegal money lenders are expected to prey on people’s financial hardship, lending money before charging extortionate interest rates and fees through threats and violence

Gov.uk scams

• Ignore text messages from the government claiming to be fining you for leaving the house. There’s often a link to a fake gov.uk website where you can ‘appeal’ and enter your bank details to get the money back. These details can be used to try and access your bank account and your money.

 HMRC relief scam

• Fraudsters are sending text messages impersonating HMRC offering relief money to help those in need. There’s a link to a fake website to apply by entering your personal and financial details. If you receive anything like this, report it to [email protected].

 Health information scam

• Be suspicious of unexpected emails from the NHS and the World Health Organisation claiming to offer help and advice. Don’t click links or open attachments - these may contain malware and attempt to gain your personal and financial details.

Investment scams

• When stock markets become volatile, many people look for more sensible or guaranteed-return investments – and many fraudsters take advantage of this. Be suspicious of investment offers that sound too good to be true – even green or ethical investments. Check the investment service provider is regulated on the FCA register and confirm the company exists on Companies House. Before transferring any money, call the organisation on the number published on the FCA register to ensure the investment is legitimate. 

Before you decide to invest, or agree to any ot-of-the-ordinary financial transaction, please refer to one of the following regulatory bodies: Cifas: is a not-for-profit fraud prevention membership organisation. They are the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, managing the largest database of instances of fraudulent conduct in the country. Members are organisations from all sectors, sharing their data across those sectors to reduce instances of fraud and financial crime. ActionFraud: Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime where you should report fraud if you have been scammed, defrauded or experienced cyber crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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