Don't fall victim to this covid 'health department uk' text scam
Fraudsters are impersonating the NHS once again with another covid test text scam, sending victims to a fake NHS website.
Although Covid restrictions have ended, a spike in cases of the Omicron variant has led to scammers sending out text messages telling you to order a test through a dodgy website.
We show you what this scam looks like so that you can spot, avoid and report it.
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'Health department uk' website
The text message claims to be a tracing notification and tells you that you’ve been exposed to the Omicron Covid-19 variant and need to take a test.
Reports of this scam show the message is coming from 07874269207, 07874285262 and 07874284325.
The message says: ‘We’ve been notified you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 (Omicron). Please order a mandatory test via: [health-department-uk.com].'
Don't click on this link, the security settings on our browser prevented us from accessing this website and warned us that it contained adware or spyware which will most likely download to your device.
NHS impersonation scams
It's not the first time we've seen scams impersonating the NHS.
Last month, the NHS warned that scam text messages regarding test kits had been reported and it confirmed that it never asks for bank details.
Covid test kits are no longer free for most, but tests can be ordered from genuine retailers online or picked up in-store.
- Find out more about how to get Covid lateral flow tests.
Reporting scam texts
Dodgy text messages can be reported by forwarding them to 7726 - a free reporting service provided by telecoms companies. Then you can block and delete the message.
If you've already clicked on a link and you're worried you could've given away any personal or financial details, contact your bank immediately and report the scam to Action Fraud.
- Find out more about how to spot a text message scam.
