Watch out for scams related to NHS Test and Trace

21 Jul 2021 11:13 AM

New warning about scams related to NHS Test and Trace.

The Government carries out public health quarantine compliance checks on individuals who have a legal duty to quarantine at home for 10 days following international travel.

This means that if you are required to quarantine, you may receive a visit from someone working on behalf of NHS Test and Trace to make sure you are complying with your legal duty.

What will happen when I get visited?

Staff employed on behalf of the NHS Test and Trace service will come to the address listed on your passenger locator form.

• The staff will be wearing NHS Test and Trace branded clothing.
• They will identify themselves verbally and present an ID card with information including their name, role and employer.
• The staff will follow social distancing guidelines where possible.
• The staff will state your name and ask you to confirm it. They will also ask to see your driving licence or passport to confirm your identity.
• They will then ask you a few questions. This will help establish whether you are following your duty to quarantine and enable them to provide additional information, support or guidance where necessary.

You may receive follow-up visits within the 10-day quarantine period.

What NHS Test and Trace staff will not do

NHS Test and Trace staff will follow coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines when carrying out compliance checks and will only ask you questions relating to your duty to quarantine.

NHS Test and Trace staff should not:

• enter your home
• ask you to provide your name - staff will already have your name and will ask ‘Am I speaking to —–?’ for you to confirm
• ask for your National Insurance number, telephone number or any other identifying information, other than your passport or driver’s licence
• photograph your identification document
• ask for your financial details, such as your bank or credit card information
• ask you for money or issue a fine. NHS Test and Trace staff have no legal power to issue a fixed penalty notice or a fine. Only the police can issue fixed penalty notices for breaching quarantine rules

If someone visits you claiming to be from NHS Test and Trace and you do not believe they are legitimate, call 999 and ask for the police.

By whom are NHS Test and Trace team members employed?

• The Government have hired a private contractor to undertake these checks. This contractor (or their approved sub-contractors) will have ID relating to their company and a Home Office letter of authority relating to the checks

I’ve received an email/text suggesting that I will be visited, is this legitimate?

• No – the NHS Test and Trace team will not provide prior notification of a visit

Will NHS Test and Trace staff contact me to tell me that they will visit?  

• No – you will not receive prior notification of a visit by the NHS Test and Trace team

What if I receive a visit from the NHS Test and Trace team and I am not meant to be quarantining?

• If you receive a visit from the NHS Test and Trace team that you were not expecting – because you do not need to quarantine or because you have not travelled abroad – there is no action you need to take.
• If you have not travelled abroad during this time, or there is no reason for you to receive a visit from NHS Test and Trace, you can contact NHS Test and Trace online or telephone 119 to confirm that you should not be quarantining, or telephone 999 if a suspected crime is in progress.

If there is reason to believe you may be breaching quarantine rules, staff may refer your case to the police and may receive a visit from them.

If the police have reasonable grounds to believe that you have committed a criminal offence in breach of your duty to quarantine, they may issue you with a fine (fixed penalty notice). Fines start at £1,000 for a first offence and can increase up to £10,000 for repeat offences.

If you are not happy with the service, you can contact NHS Test and Trace online or telephone 119.