The HSE has urged the public to be vigilant following reports of a scam in which people claiming to be contact tracing staff contact individuals and try to obtain their bank details.
The fraudulent calls and text messages claim that the person being contacted has been identified as a close contact of somebody diagnosed with Covid-19.
They then ask the person for money and their bank details in order for a Covid-19 testing kit to be sent to them. In a statement, the HSE said it does not charge the public for Covid-19 related services, including testing, and has said such texts and calls should be ignored.
It reiterated that people will never be asked for their bank details or to pay for testing by a member of HSE contact tracing staff.