People in Hertfordshire have lost more than £200,000 due to scam coronavirus text messages.

The text claims individuals have been in contact with someone who has the Omicron Covid-19 variant and contain a fake link to apply for a test kit.

As a result, people have been duped into giving personal information, with some disclosing bank details as they are asked to pay for postage and packaging.

Those who realised they were being duped after providing their details called their bank and cancelled their cards.

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However, they were then contacted by fraudsters claiming to be from the victim’s bank.

The bogus caller claims there has been a fraudulent transaction on the victim’s account and directs them to set a new account up and transfer their money to protect it.

The fraudsters can spoof genuine telephone numbers of some banks, making the calls appear legitimate.

Hertfordshire Constabulary says nine residents in the county have now lost more than £260,000 due to the scam.

Detective Inspector Pete Hankins, from the Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “Fraudsters are very quick to adapt their tactics to take advantage of circumstances, like the pandemic.

“If you receive any unsolicited messages or calls, you should always be sceptical. Avoid clicking links in text and email messages, check out the website directly via a search engine to make sure you are visiting a genuine site.”

NHS Test and Trace contact tracers will never ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product of any kind or ask for details about your bank account.

If you get a call claiming to be your bank or the police, make sure you know who the person is before handing over any personal details. You can do this by calling your bank or the police on 101.