Rutland residents are warned to watch out for fake Covid-19 vaccine test messages.

But Rutland Neighbourhood Watch and Leicestershire Police have issued messages on social media to warn people of the scam that seeks to harvest bank details.

Rutland Neighbourhood Watch posted: "Sadly fraudsters don't care about who they take advantage of - and the fear around the Covid19 pandemic is no exception.

"PLEASE, PLEASE share this warning to make others aware.

"NHS will NEVER require you to any give financial details. The vaccine through NHS is a free service, there are no charges. #DontBeDuped

"REMEMBER the golden rule! NEVER click on links in texts or emails.

"We know that we can't reach everyone on social media and email, so please would you pledge to #Tell2 elderly or vulnerable relatives and neighbours in the real world to help keep them warned, informed and safe?"

They and Leicestershire police advise people to ALWAYS report suspicious texts messages by forwarding to 7726 as it helps get fake pages down to protect others.

Leicestershire Police have their own Facebook page – Leics Police Cyber Aware.

They commented: "Why not give us a follow to help spread the word online safety, fraud and scams!"

Similar warnings have also been issued by Lincolnshire Police, as reported by Nub News.

The national body Action Fraud also issued an alert yesterday, which can be seen here.