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It is important to remain vigilant following a rise in coronavirus-related scams that seek to benefit from the public’s concern and uncertainty over COVID-19. Some of the most recent scams we have received reports of include:
Refund Scams - Companies offering fake holiday refunds for individuals who have been forced to cancel their trips. People seeking refunds should also be wary of fake websites set up to claim holiday refunds
Counterfeit Goods - Fake sanitisers, face masks and Covid19 swabbing kits sold online and door-to-door. These products can often be dangerous and unsafe. There are reports of some potentially harmful hand sanitiser containing glutaral (or glutaraldehyde), which was banned for human use in 2014.
Employment and Job Seeker Scams – Members of the public are being asked to provide bank details and personal details such as passport details and their national insurance number upfront, as well as being asked to pay for checks/ DBS/ Agency fees in advance.
Government Grant Scams - Fake government emails, which look like they are from government departments offering grants of up to £7,500. The emails contain links which steal personal and financial information.
Financial Support Scams - Scam emails offering access to "Covid-19 relief funds", as well as official-looking emails offering a "council tax reduction". These emails contain links that lead to a fake government websites, which harvest personal and financial information.
Health Scams - Phishing emails claiming that the recipient has been in contact with someone diagnosed with Covid-19. They lead to fake websites that are used to steal personal and financial information or infect devices with malware.
If you think you have fallen foul of any of the above scams, or if you have come across something that does not seem right and would like to check, you can report and access advice by contacting the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.