A WARNING has gone out to people in Bolton and beyond that criminals are using the NHS Covid Pass as part of a scam.

The pass was designed by the NHS in order to allow people to share their vaccination status or test Covid-19 status in a secure way when travelling abroad or attending events and venues in England.

However, police have now warned that criminals are now using fake passes in order to convince the public to hand over money, financial details and personal information.

A GMP Bolton statement released this morning said: "They are sending imitation text messages, emails and making phone calls pretending to be from the NHS and offering fake vaccine certificates for sale online and through social media."

In some cases, a fake text message, which claims to be an official NHS communication, reads: “NHS: We’ve noticed you haven’t applied for your COVID pass, please follow the link to complete registration to avoid fees…”. The message then links to a website that asks the recipient to provide personal details, supposedly for registration purposes but which could be used to commit identity fraud.

This latest text scam is similar to an email-based scam reported across the country in July, which asked members of the public to get their health passports before they went on holiday.

That scam also directed recipients to a fake website that took personal details which could then be used to commit fraud.

In response, police officers have warned members of the public not to respond to requests for personal or financial details and to remain alert to unexpected texts or emails.

The NHS has also assured the public that the app and Covid Pass are both free and that the health service will never ask for payment or for financial details.

Anyone concerned about scams can contact Action Fraud by calling: 0300 123 2040.