An elderly Bromley resident received a call from someone claiming to be from a health service requesting a payment for the flu jab, based on the fact that if they paid they would be able to receive the injection with a more sophisticated needle. There have also been alerts circulated by NHS England highlighting flu jab scams, some examples are below:
NHS England and NHS Improvement – East of England have been alerted to an issue whereby a patient appears to have been the victim of a scam relating to flu jabs. The patient was contacted over the phone by a person alleging to be a GP working at their local GP practice and that, for a fee, the GP could attend their home to administer their flu jab. Unfortunately the patient gave out their bank account details and has sadly suffered a financial loss.
“If someone claiming to be from the NHS contacts you by phone and asks for a payment, please be aware they could be a criminal trying to trick you. Most NHS services are free at the point of use and NHS professionals are very unlikely to ask for fees such as prescription charges by phone. We advise you not to share bank account details or other financial information unless you are sure of who you are talking to.”
For more information visit the Bromley Trading Standards rogue traders and scams page.