24 Apr 2020

Following reports of potential hoax calls from people purporting to be from NHS 111, residents are reminded to not give out any personal banking details over the phone.

Contact Cares, who are managing the St Helens Together service for vulnerable people, and other voluntary and third sector partners such as Age UK etc are making phone calls to residents during the Covid-19 crisis to check on them and discuss their needs and how best they can support them. These callers will introduce themselves and the organisation they are calling from and may ask residents to confirm their name and spelling, date of birth, address, contact numbers, next of kin details and details of the GP they are registered with.


They may also ask if residents are able to make payments with a debit card to enable them to signpost towards suitable support options but will never ask for any bank or card details, any passwords or pin numbers.

If residents or family members are concerned that a caller is not genuine, they should report this to Contact Cares on 01744 676767 or contactcares@sthelens.gov.uk who can report any concerns to Safeguarding to follow up.


In addition to this Merseyside Police are reminding people to be careful of scammers and follow the below tips to protect yourself from being scammed: 

  • Stop and take a moment to think before parting with your money or personal information.
  • It’s ok to decline or ignore any request. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
  • The police, or your bank, will never ask you to withdraw / transfer money, or ask you to reveal a password or PIN.
  • Do not click on links or attachments in unexpected or suspicious texts or emails.
    Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious text messages to 7726.
  • Be wary of anyone that calls at your door unexpectedly - do not let them in. Ask for ID and keep the door closed while you verify who they are. Call 999 if you feel threatened or in danger.
  • Confirm callers or requests are genuine by using a known number or email address to contact organisations directly.
  • Stay secure online by keeping your phones, tablets and laptops updated with the latest software, apps and operating systems.

If you think you’ve been targeted by a fraudster, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk.