Cruel Christmas scammers are trying to charge for arranging bogus Covid booster jabs for victims in North Wales, it\u2019s been revealed.<\/p>\n
The warning came from Wayne Jones, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, who has himself been targeted with a fake message with a link to \u201cregister\u201d for a third vaccination.<\/p>\n
The link takes people to a phoney website that appears to look like a genuine NHS site which asks for their banking details.<\/p>\n
Mr Jones stressed that the NHS does not charge for such Covid-related services and texts or emails indicating for you to click should not be opened.<\/p>\n
The retired police chief superintendent warned that the unscrupulous scammers were aiming to exploit the festive season, with a vast array of illegal swindles at a time when online spending increases in the run-up to Christmas.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cPeople are doing lots more online these days, including buying Christmas presents or giving to charity, so everybody needs to be mindful that if an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey need to make sure they have proper software and firewalls on their phones and other devices so they\u2019re not being infected by spyware and illegal software that\u2019s tracking their online activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny online purchases should be made from reputable suppliers and check out their returns policy and their insurance policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also important to make sure that you\u2019re fully secure in terms of your online banking and that you\u2019re protecting your private information.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy advice is to make sure your passwords are secure by not using birthdays, family names and the like, and don\u2019t use the same passwords across important accounts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are also a lot of unsolicited emails or text messages, particularly purporting to be in relation to parcels that could not be delivered.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes they may be legitimate but there are an awful lot of scam emails and text messages going around. If you receive a message about a delivery, always check the delivery company\u2019s official website where you can track any parcels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe purpose of a scam email can often also be to get you to click a link. This will take you to a website which might download a virus to your computer, or steal passwords or other personal information. This is sometimes known as phishing<\/p>\n
\u201cI would just like people to be on their guard, particularly during the lead up to Christmas and the post-Christmas sales, as they are spending more money.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso be alert for phone calls from fraudsters saying they are calling on behalf of banking services.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should always be wary of unsolicited calls, texts or emails requesting your personal or financial information, including\u00a0 your name, address, bank details, email or phone numbers. Always contact your bank\/building society directly using a known email or phone number to verify.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time of year, the scammers will always be looking for opportunities to make money out of people \u2013 particularly asking for charity donations. Scammers have no scruples, no moral compass.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will jump on any story they see in the press if they think they can make money out of it because scammers adapt themselves very quickly to changing circumstances. They\u2019re always looking to take your hard-earned cash off you.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re even trying to make money out of Covid and one of their new tricks is pretend to offer an appointment for a booster jab or PCR test.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen it myself where I have seen a link to go to what looks like an NHS website to book your jab. It looks legitimate but it\u2019s not, never click on any links you are sent.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother one involves scammers offering to prepare travel documentation in respect of Covid, particularly if you are looking at booking a holiday after Christmas.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an awful thing to do at any time of year but it\u2019s particularly mean at Christmas. It\u2019s a time when scammers know people will be spending more money than usual on Christmas presents and making donations to charity.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy all means make your donations to charity but just make sure you know who you\u2019re giving your money to and what you\u2019re giving your money for.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen the impact that being a victim of fraud can have on people and it can be utterly devastating. It can be really damaging for individuals and for businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a message reinforced by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin.<\/p>\n
Tackling online crime is a key priority for the tech savvy Commissioner who is also playing a key role nationally.<\/p>\n
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners have elected him as their deputy lead for police technology and digital and deputy lead for economic and cyber crime, including fraud.<\/p>\n
Fellow commissioners decided he was the perfect person for the job because of his background working in the technology industry.<\/p>\n
Back in 2012 he helped ensure the London Olympics was successfully beamed across the world to an audience measured in billions.<\/p>\n
Mr Dunbobbin said: \u201cWe know that during the pandemic cyber crime has gone up by 50 per cent in comparison to previous years.<\/p>\n
\u201cTackling cyber crime was a major commitment in my manifesto and it is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan which sets out the blueprint for policing North Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody is immune from scam emails or text messages. I receive them, we all get them. People just need to use a bit of common sense.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese scammers are totally unscrupulous \u2013 they\u2019re using any opportunity that might be particularly pertinent at that particular time.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo use the pandemic for a money making scam is the lowest of the low because we all know somebody who has had Covid and tragically some have lost their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cChristmas is supposed to be the season of goodwill but these despicable scammers aim to make it a miserable time for their victims.\u201d<\/p>\n