Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to stop the distribution of messages that purport to offer people access to a COVID-19 vaccine in an attempt to steal personal and financial information.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with Google, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to help the public access to accurate National Health Service information and avoid myths and misinformation. This includes ensuring Google provides easy access to verified NHS guidance when someone searches for COVID-19; working to verify or ‘blue tick’ over 800 social media accounts belonging to NHS organisations including hospital trusts and local commissioning groups; and working with Twitter to suspend false accounts posing as trusted institutions.

The National Cyber Security Centre is also asking the public to report suspect emails to its Suspicious Email Reporting Service. All emails forwarded to the service are analysed and if they are found to link to malicious content, they will be taken down or blocked, helping prevent future victims of crime. In addition, the Advertising Standards Authority taking action to ban fraudulent adverts.

NHS England, the Head of Action Fraud, the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre have issued joint advice that the COVID-19 vaccine is only available for free on the NHS and health service staff will never ask for payment for it.