Two of our well-known Councillors (and other local people) have recently received a call like the following —
"Good morning, I'm calling from the NHS track and trace service. According to our system, you are likely to have been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. This means that you now need to self-isolate for seven days and take a COVID-19 test. ... So can I just get the best mailing address so that we can send a kit to you? ... and I just need to take a payment card, so that we can finalise this and send the kit to you. ... There is a one-off fee of £50 for the kit and test results. ... Can you give me the card number, and there are penalties for not complying."
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO CHARGE FOR THIS NHS SERVICE, SO DO NOT COMPLY.
SIMPLY PUT THE PHONE DOWN.
Instead, only if you believe you need to do so, visit the official NHS website at
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/nhs-test-and-trace-if-youve-been-in-contact-with-a-person-who-has-coronavirus/
(or click the text below), which gives the genuine instructions, including the following warnings —
[For technical reasons, the "contact-tracing" link above won't work from THIS page,
but will do so from the NHS webpage itself or directly from here.]
☞ If you wish to report the call, contact the Citizens' Advice Consumer Helpline here or on ☏ 0808 223 1133.