Garda Síochána, the HSE and The Department of Health have advised people to be aware of potential scams relating to the Covid-19 vaccine.
LaoisToday have recently been contacted by several people who say that they have experienced this scam but thankfully were not caught out and reported the matter to Gardai.
In recent days, Gardai say they are aware of members of the public having received fraudulent text messages and calls regarding Covid vaccination.
The text messages have made requests for people to confirm private and sensitive information such as PPS number, date of birth and address.
Other people have received phone calls requesting they make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine jab at a random hospital.
In most cases, the person receiving the call will say they are not in a position to travel to the hospital.
This allows the caller to extract further personal details. Some people might confirm that they live alone or reveal their home address. The caller will then offer to come to their residence to administer a vaccine.
Gardai say: “The HSE will never text or call individuals requesting personal information and they will never request payment for a Covid test or Vaccine.
“Your local GP will be the first point of contact about vaccination or Covid testing.
“The Covid-19 vaccine is free and it is not available privately.
“We would ask that members of the public make contact with any vulnerable friends or family to make them aware of these calls and text messages.”
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