Another Scam NHS

Just received a text, allegedly from the NHS. Apply for your Covid pass or you will incur penalties. I thought that is rather strongly worded. Had a look at the site, and my blocker app advised it was a dangerous site. So please be wary if you get a similar text.

 

These scams are terrible and sometimes look and sound so convincing.
Don’t do what I did though, we were being pestered by what was obviously a pension scam, we had 3 calls one day, enough is enough I said, here comes another call, wife said I bet it’s them again, I grabbed the phone , my Language was quite colourful only to hear a faint voice saying my prescription was ready at the chemist. I still get embarrassed now when I visit the chemist

 

I have received a few asking me to update my weight and height with my GP to support Covid statistical study of BMI influence of infection rate. Once I was told by NHS I'm about to miss my window to apply for Covid passport.

I have been (in a way) quite impressed with the quality of these, good English and reasonable, non- threatening messages. If it were not for the fact that I doubt NHS is investing in mobile phones to send people text messages, I might have hesitated once or twice.

However, it is truly maddening that the scammers are targeting people who may not be so scam- savvy. Calling landline phones is likely to get you through to an older person, and in Finland one gang did door-to-door scamming by selecting people from the phone book with old fashioned first names (like Enid or Agatha, you know... unlikely to be a person under 80 years old.) That's so very cruel.

 

Well I cant imagine Ena Sharples falling for that kind of thing, and that Martha Longhurst was a nasty piece of stuff.
Mind you, Minnie Coldwell would have probably fallen for it.

 

I really feel for those (often young) people whose job it is to try to sell something over the phone so try to be very nice to them. It must be a hard way to earn a salary.

Door to door callers are a different matter. I just don't have time for them and it does feel just a little bit threatening to have an unknown person at the door. Charity folks are ok but as they only do direct debit nowadays I ask for a brochure to make a one-off donation when I want to. Unfortunately they don't even have those any more so a hand scribbled note on the name of the charity is the best they can do. If I provide a pen and paper that is.

The only exception is an elderly man who comes calling once a year, selling little pins for a Pound to support something, most likely himself. He is so nice that I always buy one

 

Same here - don't want people turning up at the door unless they are known or invited.

Mind you - no one can get to the front door anymore. There is a full height and locked gate at the entrance to the front garden - I also installed a letter flap and letter box to catch the mail. You can see into the back of the letter box - so we can see when there is mail in there.

 

I get sent Christmas cards with pictures on them by people who have to use their feet to do the painting.

The pictures are very good, but they ask me to send X amount of money for the cards I didn't even order.

Then it says, if you don't want the cards you are under no obligation to send them back.

So I don't, I don't use them either.