HM Revenue and Customs is warning people in Gedling borough to remain vigilant and not fall foul of online scams during the coronavirus outbreak.
The warning comes after a flurry of texts and emails were received in the borough claiming to offer a ‘goodwill payment’ to help the NHS battle coronavirus.
The link in the crooked communication then takes the receiver to a scam site where they are invited to put in their personal and bank details, which will then be used by the fraudsters to gain access to the victim’s cash.
HM Revenue and Customs issued a tweet telling people to ignore the messages.
The tweet read: “If you receive an email, text or call claiming to be from us that asks you to click on a link or give information such as your name, credit card or bank details, it’s a scam.”
A Netflix scam is also doing the rounds, with an email claiming to be from the streaming giant being received across the borough that wants payment details.
It asks you to click on a link that leads to scam site where you are invited to input fresh payment details – and give a scammer access to your account.
An Action Fraud spokesperson said they had received an increase in reports around coronavirus-related scams.
They said: “We have also received multiple reports about coronavirus-themed phishing emails attempting to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial information.
They also urged people to update software on their devices.
An Action Fraud spokesperson said: “Always install the latest software and app updates to protect your devices from the latest threats.”
People can report scams at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
