Telephone scammers pretending to be associated with the NHS are operating in Scotland. Common tactics include asking for bank details, supposedly for a small payment to cover equipment insurance, outpatient treatment or other forms of care. Earlier this year, scam callers asking for payment for COVID-19 tests or vaccination were also common.
NHS Scotland will never call to ask for patients’ bank account details, credit or debit card information, or for payment to cover services. Anyone who says they are from the NHS and asks for bank details or money transfers over the phone is lying.
If you suspect a call may be fraudulent, ask the caller for their name and location (not their phone number), and then look up the number yourself and call back. Or call a trusted NHS number to confirm.
If in doubt, stop to think – scammers will often try to hurry you into action. Do not employ a number provided to you by the caller.
You can report suspected scams to https://www.consumeradvice.scot/. Police Scotland also has anti-fraud advice at https://www.scotland.police.uk/takefive .