Category: Announcements

Fraudsters are taking advantage of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout through a cruel but convincing text in an attempt to steal people’s personal and financial details. The text contains a link that leads to a very believable but bogus NHS website with an application form to register to take the vaccine.

A member got in touch today when they received a text message purporting to be from the NHS. It confusingly stated that “we have identified that your are eligible to apply for your vaccine” and advised him to follow a link to get more information and ‘apply’:

This URL(in blue) takes you through to an extremely convincing fake NHS website that asks for your personal details, but the member became suspicious when it asked for his bank/card details in order to ‘check his identity’. It was then that he began spotting spelling mistakes on the site and in the SMS itself e.g. ‘your are’ which are classic signs of a phishing scam.

Remain vigilant of coronavirus scams

We know that criminals will use the confusion and urgency around the pandemic as a way to target potential victims. With the recent approval of multiple vaccines in the UK, these types of scam attempts are likely to continue as fraudsters look to take advantage of the rollout to so many people.

Cold calls regarding the vaccine are also beginning to take place – I’ve already had reports of scammers asking people to pay for it over the phone. If you receive one of these calls, hang up. If you think you may have handed over your card details to scammers, let your bank know what’s happened immediately.

David Rose

With more people out and about at the moment, a useful App to know about is called ‘what3words’. The world has been divided into 3 metre squares, and each square has a unique identifier, using 3 random words. For example, Hucknall Market Place is ‘acted.engage.lowest’.

The App can be downloaded onto your phone, and any location can then be found on the map grid, and also on satellite view. The phone GPS needs to be on, then this location can be given to the 999 service – it is much quicker than trying to read an Ordnance Survey map on top of Kinder Scout, and when not on a road or a known location.

Our walking groups take great care not to get lost, but this would be useful in an emergency, particularly in an area with no particular landmarks.

John Tedstone

This 2020 Hucknall Christmas Tree Festival, which is usually held inside the church, was cancelled due to Covid restrictions. However in its place there is a Christmas Wreath Festival with the 34 wreaths made by local schools, businesses and community groups displayed on the church railings alongside the market place. Our wreath designed and created by the Groups Coordinator Siobhan celebrates our Interest Groups.

A current Scam Warning – Fake PayPal E-mails

Action Fraud is warning people selling items online to be on the lookout for criminals sending fake PayPal emails.

• Between January 2020 and September 2020, 21,349 crime reports were made to Action Fraud about fake PayPal emails.
• Victims reported losing a total of £7,891,077.44 during this time.
• Those targeted included people selling jewellery, furniture and electronics via online marketplaces.
• Reports of fake PayPal emails to Action Fraud made up a third of all reports of online shopping and auction fraud during this period.

How does it happen?
Criminals have been targeting people selling items online, by sending them emails purporting to be from PayPal. The emails trick victims into believing they have received payment for the items they’re selling on the platform.

Typically, after receiving these emails, victims will ship the item to the criminal. This leaves them at a further disadvantage having not received any payment for the item and also no longer being in possession of it.

How can you protect yourself?
• Sellers beware: If you’re selling items on an online marketplace, be aware of the warning signs that your buyer is a scammer. Scammers may have negative feedback history, or may have recently set up a new account to avoid getting poor feedback. Don’t be persuaded into sending anything until you can verify you’ve received the payment.
• Scam messages: Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial details.
• How to spot the difference: A PayPal email will address you by your first and last name, or your business name, and will never ask you for your full password, bank account, or credit card details in a message.

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it to
Action Fraud online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

A recent Covid-19 Experience of a Hucknall and District u3a member

Member Alan Ratcliffe writes about his recent diagnosis and hospital treatment for Covid -19. If you read this you will have little doubt about the need for social distancing, hand washing and varying degrees of lockdown.It was written for close friends and family and I wish to thank Alan on our behalf for agreeing to share it with us.
David

Alan writes:
Thursday: today was a good day for a stroll in the garden. Yesterday I returned home after spending seven days in the Covid Unit of Kingsmill Hospital, having tested positive for Covid the previous Tuesday. Neither my wife Una nor my daughter Fionnuala was keen on me dying alone in hospital. However, we took the decision that my chances of surviving would be increased if I went into hospital. As the tailgate of the ambulance was raised I couldn’t help thinking I was taking my last look at them. I could see the anxiety in their faces and I’m sure they could see the anxiety in mine.

On arrival at hospital, I was wheeled in bed to see the doctor. He explained in very clear terms what were my chances of survival and what course of action he recommended. The bed was then wheeled around a labyrinth of corridors and I ended up in a very palatial room on my own. I thought that it would be a very comfortable room in which to die.

However, after a short while, the bed was on the move again and I ended up in a ward of about fifty feet square with three other men, the four beds being in the corners. The next day I was connected for most of the time to an infusion where liquids meant to kill the virus were pumped into my body.

The next day with the infusion now removed, I became more aware of the schedule of activities that would aid my recovery. Food would be served at specific times of the day but before that we were given menus from which to choose our meal. The menus had a really wide selection to choose from and when the food arrived, it was absolutely delicious.

Doctors appeared every day to inform each of us how we were doing. At regular interval, nurses would appear to check blood pressure and oxygen concentration in my blood. This was a vital factor in monitoring our progress. The oxygen level had to attain a certain level before we would be considered sufficiently healthy for us to be sent home.

Days were not so bad. There was always a flurry of activities and it did take a lot longer for normal activities, such as washing, toilet activities and even eating. We were allowed to choose our own techniques, whether that be bedpans, basins of water in bed or a shower. I was able to hobble over to the toilet and have a shower and a shave but at the start it took me an hour to complete the process.

The nights were rather different. We were allowed to make our own decisions as to when our individual bed lights were turned off, but the nights seemed interminably long, particularly if you cannot sleep. During the night, the nurses would appear at specific intervals to take the readings of blood pressure and oxygen levels. They didn’t rouse us and I had no difficulty in getting off to sleep when they had carried out their checks. Their smiling faces appearing in the middle of the night were a source of immense comfort. I felt I was being watched over by angels as I slept.

Finally the day came when the numbers came out right. I could not have been happier if I had won the lottery.During my time in the ward, there were a few comings and goings. Some left the ward and were allowed to go home to their families. Sadly, some left the ward but didn’t make it home. Of the ones who were happily returned to their families, to my knowledge, none were as old as I am.

On the day I was released, I believe there were almost five hundred deaths from Covid nationally in hospitals in the country.

Finally, I have to say that for their professional competence and their duty of care, whether they were cleaners, porters, food preparation people, nurses or doctors, this is the most dedicated and inspiring group of people I have ever met and they work at Kingsmill Hospital, Mansfield.

Alan Ratcliffe