Care home left without PPE as crime groups exploit pandemic

A care home in Forth Valley was left without personal protective equipment (PPE) after a supplier said it had not received its £10,000 payment.

An investigation later found the money had been moved from the bank account it was paid into and police believe organised criminals were behind the incident.

Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce has been told of a number of cases of scammers exploiting the coronavirus pandemic.

These include:

Reports of people knocking doors and offering to disinfect a householder’s driveway to rid it of Covid-19 for a fee.

Businesses being emailed by scammers urging them to click on an link for a £25,000 grant. The link leads to a fake UK Government branded website, asking for business and banking details.

A £10,000 fraud intercepted by Scottish Borders Council when an application for a business support grant was hacked by criminals who requested the redirection of the payment to a different bank account. Due to the checks in place the council was alert to the scam and the money was not paid out.

Justice secretary Humza Yousaf, chair of the taskforce, said: “Organised crime groups are adept at taking advantage of any situation that presents itself.

“People are understandably concerned about their health, and that of their family, as well as concerned about their jobs. It is abhorrent, but not unexpected, that these groups are looking to exploit those fears and concerns.

“A business falling foul to one of these scams could be disastrous, especially if they are already struggling and could ultimately lead to them stopping trading.

“It is important that we all do what we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones. I would encourage anyone that if they see something, say something.”

Police Scotland assistant chief constable Angela McLaren issued advice for anyone worried about falling foul of fraudsters.

She said: “During the current pandemic, we are seeing targeted attempts by fraudsters to adapt well-known techniques to include references to coronavirus, lockdown measures and PPE.

“We remain vigilant to this and circulate alerts and preventative messages, not just those associated with Covid-19, where appropriate.

“We will persistently pursue those who set out to cause harm and misery to our communities and to make Scotland a hostile environment for those involved.

“It is important that everyone protects themselves and remains vigilant. Be aware that a telephone call, email or text may not be from the person or organisation it appears to come from.

“Never click on a link from an unsolicited email or text, and remember that the banks and the police will never ask you for personal banking information or ask you to move funds to a safe account.”