Kent residents have been warned to be vigilant following a rise in Covid-19 vaccine scams.

Incidents of a variety of different scams have been reported across the county over the last week, prompting safety warnings from Kent County Council.

The most common of these involve text messages or emails from people claiming to be from the NHS informing the intended victim they are eligible for the vaccine.

The resident will then be instructed to click on a link to a fraudulent website, which will request personal details, including name and address and bank details for verification.

A spokesman for Public Protection Kent (PPK), KCC's community safety body, said: "If you receive this type of message, do not click on any links.

"This is the latest series of scams relating to the pandemic – the NHS will never ask for bank details."

Yesterday, a new method of scam was reported which involved residents who had already received their first dose of the vaccine.

A PPK spokesman described how a resident had been phoned by the scammer, who already knew that they had received the vaccine.

He said: "The caller then asks how they are feeling & starts asking questions about life insurance and finance.

"This is a scam. Once again, the NHS will never ask you questions about finance".

For advice and support on scams, you can contact Citizens Advice 0800 144 8848, and to report suspicious messages call 0808 250 5050.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice, click here.

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