Track and trace scam warning as fraudsters trick victims into revealing bank details to pay for fake £50 test kit
A SICK track and trace scam is conning victims by tricking them to reveal their bank details for a £50 fake testing kit.
The government's contact-tracing scheme, which launched last month, tells anyone who has been in contact with a Covid-19 patient to self-isolate for a fortnight in a bid to stop the virus spreading.
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The NHS track and trace system is completely free. Genuine contact-tracers will never ask for bank details, ask you to set up a pin, ask you to provide social media details or ask you to download anything.
But a transcript of a chilling call shows how fraudsters are cashing in by instructing unsuspecting members of the public to quarantine and hand over their bank details for a "one-off" payment to have a test delivered.
Action Fraud has estimated 2,378 victims have lost £7m from coronavirus-related scams so far.
The scammer first warns their victim that they are likely to have been "in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19" and are told to self-isolate for seven days and take a test.
They refuse to identify who supposedly caught the virus because it is ";confidential information" but tell their victim they must be tested within 72 hours and ask for an address to send a kit to.
Then they push for bank details to pay a fictional "one-off £50 fee" and tell their prey to read their 16-digit card number, threatening a penalty for non-compliance.
The scam call
Caller: ‘Good morning, I'm calling from the NHS track and trace service.
According to our system, you are likely to have been in close proximity to someone who has tested postive for COVID-19. This means that you now need to self-isolate for 7 days and take a COVID-19 test.'
Victim: OK. Can you tell me who that person was?
Caller: I'm not able to tell you that. That is confidential information.
Victim: Right. Um... so ....
Caller: But you do need to be tested within the next 72 hours. So can I just get the best mailing address so that we can send a kit to you?
Victim: Ok, [gives address].
Caller: Thank you - and I just need to take a payment card so that we can finalise this and send the kit to you.
Victim: Sorry - a payment card? I though this was all free?
Caller: No - I'm afraid not. There is a one-off fee of £50 for the kit, and test results. Could you read off the long card number for me, please, when you're ready.
Victim: No - that's not right. This is part of the NHS so there's no charge.
Caller: I'm afraid there is. Can you give me the card number please - this is very important, and there are penalties for not complying.
Victim: Puts phone down.
Hampshire County Council’s Trading Standards said they are "alert to a scam on Facebook pretending to be the NHS Test and Trace Service" and that "it’s important that we all work together to spread the word and stop fraudsters taking advantage at this time of national crisis.”
A Sun investigation found in March that fraudsters are creating thousands of new scams every day to cash in on the pandemic.
More than 16,000 internet domains intending to con unsuspecting and vulnerable victims into parting with large sums of money while web-security firm Check Point Research said 6,000 new sites were set up a week.
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Internet-security expert Neil Doyle warned: “It’s like the wild-west out there and it only shows signs of getting worse and worse. People need to be on their guard.”
Manual track and tracing launched in May 28 and an associated app is being trialled on the Isle of Wight. The government aims for it to be rolled out nationally by the end of June.
Anyone who suspects they have been a victim of a scam are urged to report the incident to Action Fraud.
