Scammers are using the coronavirus pandemic to take advantage of people in a number of ways. 

From text scams to rogue traders, people are being cheated out of their money and personal details across the country. 

OFTEC, a registration body for off-gas grid heating, has listed the ongoing scams and how you can spot them happening.

Text scams

Over 275 Covid financial scams have been detected during lockdown.

Any message which asks for your card details to claim government grants are fraudulent and should be deleted immediately.

HMRC never offers tax refunds by text.

There have also been reports of messages asking for payment to receive a Covid-19 vaccination.

These are all fake. Lookout for grammar and spelling errors which are a sign that an offer or service is not genuine.

Telephone scams

HMRC has responded to over 300,000 reports of phone scams.

With more people at home, criminals are pretending to be calling from a bank, mortgage provider or utility company.

If you receive an unexpected or suspicious call, do not share any financial or personal information and hang up immediately.

If you have any concerns about a call you have received, contact your provider directly.

Email scams

Over 11,000 people believe they have fallen victim to a ‘phishing’ email during lockdown which seek to obtain personal or financial information.

Avoid clicking on links as they may contain viruses or direct to you to a fake website, designed to look like the governments.

You should also keep your web browser up to date as you may receive an alert if you try to visit a fraudulent website.

Social media scams

Scams on Facebook or other social media platforms are particularly dangerous because they can be accidently shared by a friend or family member which might make you think they are legitimate.

Be wary of adverts or posts for schemes or products which offer a high financial reward with low risk. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Rogue traders

Unqualified individuals may impersonate heating technicians or other tradespeople and their work can lead to unsafe heating systems and expensive repair costs.

If you need your boiler serviced, make sure the tradesperson has the right accreditation.

Use a technician who is GasSafe (for mains gas) or OFTEC (for heating oil or solid fuel) registered as they have undergone professional training and are regularly inspected to ensure they are following best practice.

Remember, there are strict rules on tradespeople in the home, including social distancing, so ensure these are carefully followed.