Police are urging the public to be aware of a phishing text message scam circulating in Northern Ireland telling people that they must apply for their Covid-19 pass.
The fraudulent text tells the receiver they are eligible to apply for an NHS Covid pass, and that failure to apply may result in fines.
When the receiver clicks on the link attached, they’re directed to an official looking NHS website. However, this fake site asks the viewer to enter their bank details, claiming that a £1.99 payment is required to process the Covid pass application.
Domestic coronavirus certification is required in many venues across Northern Ireland, however, application for certification is free and can be completed on the NI Direct website by clicking here.
Scam text messages have been common throughout the pandemic, with recent examples including a fraudulent message telling people they are eligible to come forward for vaccination, before redirecting them to a fake NHS page that asks for bank details.
If you receive a text or email that asks you to click on a link or for you to provide information, such as your name, credit card or bank details, it’s a likely to be a scam. Protect yourself by following this advice:
- do not open attachments or click on links in emails or texts from numbers you don’t know
- never give out your personal information, banking details or passwords in response to an email, text or phone call without verifying that the caller is who they say they are
- block…
