POLICE are warning residents in Cornwall of an ‘extremely convincing NHS scam’ which is being used by fraudsters to get personal information from people.

The scam starts with a text, say police, which appears to come from the NHS, and advises users that they are eligible to apply for the Covid-19 vaccine.

Users are then invited to click on the link in the text message and are taken to a web page that looks very convincing. It goes on to ask for some personal information, such as name, address, date of birth, and card payment details.

“With the recent approval of multiple vaccines in the UK, these types of scam attempts are likely to continue, as fraudsters continue to take advantage of the rollout to so many people,” said a Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson.

“An example of the fake text published by the National Neighbourhood Watch Network is shown here. Recipients are advised to report this to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or www.actionfraud.police.uk.”