Coronavirus Scam Alert
West Yorkshire Trading Standards has seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 related scams.
What Scams are trending at the moment in West Yorkshire?
- Scam adverts on social media sites such as Facebook claiming Supermarkets are offering vouchers to help families with food shopping.
- A malicious Android app purports to provide a real-time covid-19 outbreak tracker but instead attempts to trick the user into providing administrative access to install "CovidLock" ransomware on their device.
- Scam texts from individuals claiming to be from Lloyds bank. The text offers a mortgage holiday and suspension of credit card interest during the current period of lock down. The individual is then invited to follow a link and enter personal account details.
- Members of the public have received phone calls from scammers acting as broadband providers offering faster services during this time of lock down.
Top Tips
Don't click on links or attachments in suspicious emails and never respond to messages that ask for personal or financial details.
Look for websites with https: in the web address, the letter S usually indictates if the website is secure.
Doorstep criminals taking advantage of the pandemic
Bogus callers attending an address in West Yorkshire offering an injection for sale, which purports to be a vaccine for COVID19. There is NO vaccine yet for COVID19, nor are testing kits available to buy on the general market. If you have anyone approaching you, either at home, on the phone or anywhere else, trying to sell you a vaccine, a cure, or a testing kit, please know this is a SCAM! *Please only seek medical advice from your doctor.
Top Tips
YOUR DOORSTEP YOUR DECISION If you feel pressured, ask the person to leave.
NO SNAP DECISIONS Take time to talk to someone you trust before you make any decisions.
DO THE CHECKS You can check ID badges and contact associations to check membership registrations yourself. Call the telephone number of the organisation, obtain this number yourself, not from the person at the door.
Who to contact
Report complaints to Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline: 0808 223 1133
Report scams to Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040
Email reports of Covid-19 Scams in West Yorkshire: Covid19.Scams@wyjs.org.uk