.png)
2 hours ago
1
A "CONVINCING" fake NHS dentist website is stealing people's idiosyncratic details and money, officials person warned.
The scam tract uses the health service's logo and branding but has nary affiliation with it.
2
2
It promises to "find and publication appointments with section providers" crossed the UK if users wage upfront for slots.
However, it could permission users retired of pouch and astatine hazard of fraud.
An NHS England spokesperson said: "This website is simply a scam.
"Patients volition ne'er beryllium asked for wealth upfront earlier booking an NHS dental appointment, and radical tin find an authoritative NHS dentist utilizing our website."
A dentist, who wished to stay anonymous, added: "This isn't a existent NHS website, you won't get a existent appointment, and practices aren't affiliated with it.
"You'll person your details and wealth stolen."
The website, nhs-dentist.co.uk, claims to person booked 35,000 appointments done its "extensive nationalist web of dentists".
It archetypal asks users to implicit a signifier detailing whether they request a check-up, hygiene clean oregon exigency appointment, if they privation it done the NHS oregon privately, and wherever successful the UK they are based.
A calendar of dates and times past appears, with slots disposable successful the coming days.
Users are past told to supply their idiosyncratic details, including their afloat name, day of birth, postcode, email code and telephone number, earlier making payment.
Watch arsenic Big Brother prima Marisha Wallace fights backmost tears arsenic she reveals she was scammed retired of THOUSANDS
The dodgy website states that NHS appointments outgo £35, and backstage ones are £120.
"All income are last and nary refund volition beryllium issued," nhs-dentist.co.uk, which has nary telephone fig and is registered to an code successful North West London, says.
However, NHS practices are forbidden from taking immoderate upfront payments and dental appointments are divided into 3 complaint bands:
- Band 1: £26.80
- Band 2: £73.50
- Band 3: £319.10
An urgent assignment costs £26.80.
A spokesperson for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: "Our attraction has been brought to a interest relating to a scam dental assignment booking website.
"We recognize that immoderate patients seeking NHS dental attraction person booked and paid for appointments via this website and person been allocated what they person been told is an NHS dental assignment astatine a section dental practice.
"Please beryllium alert that NHS dentists volition ne'er inquire you for precocious online payments connected dental work.
"If you deliberation you whitethorn person been affected, delight interaction your slope for urgent proposal and support."
How to find an NHS dentist
THERE are astir 11,000 autarkic dental practices successful England, providing some NHS and backstage care.
You tin find your closest utilizing this NHS hunt tool.
However, not each NHS surgeries volition beryllium capable to instrumentality connected caller patients, and you whitethorn person to articulation a waiting list, find your adjacent nearest oregon beryllium seen privately.
If you deliberation you request urgent care, interaction your accustomed dentist.
However, if they can't spot you astatine abbreviated notice, you tin interaction NHS 111.
Do not telephone your GP. And lone sojourn A&E successful superior circumstances, specified arsenic for injuries to the face, rima oregon teeth, and terrible oregon expanding swelling successful the mouth, pharynx oregon cervix which makes it hard to breathe, swallow oregon speak.
Source: NHS
A spokesperson for Healthwatch Trafford, a wellness and societal attraction champion successful the area, added: "Don't get caught out.
"Patients whitethorn person seen a website advertizing NHS dental services, utilizing a logo precise akin to the NHS logo and offering urgent treatment.
"While the webpage whitethorn look convincing, delight beryllium alert that this is simply a scam and not a genuine service.
"Do not usage this website to effort and entree NHS dental care."
For much advice, sojourn the National Cyber Security Centre website oregon contact Action Fraud.
How to support yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips successful mind, you tin debar getting caught up successful a scam:
- Firstly, retrieve that if thing seems excessively bully to beryllium true, it usually is.
- Check brands are "verified" connected Facebook and Twitter pages - this means the institution volition person a bluish tick connected its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously atrocious astatine penning due English. If you person a connection from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, see whether it’s written successful your friend’s mean style.
- If you’re invited to click connected a URL, hover implicit the nexus to spot the code it volition instrumentality you to – does it look genuine?
- To beryllium connected the truly harmless side, don’t click connected unsolicited links successful messages, adjacent if they look to travel from a trusted contact.
- Be cautious erstwhile opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are progressively attaching files, usually PDFs oregon spreadsheets, which incorporate unsafe malware.
- If you person a suspicious connection past study it to the company, artifact the sender and delete it.
- If you deliberation you've fallen for a scam, study it to Action Fraud connected 0300 123 2040 oregon usage its online fraud reporting tool.
.png "indianexpress.")
.png "khaleejtimes")
.png "arabnews")
.png "gulfnews"){kind=logo}
English (US) · 
Hindi (IN) ·