A fraudster claiming to work for the NHS injected a 92-year-old woman with a fake Covid-19 vaccine, City of London Police has said.
Detectives are hunting the man who charged the victim in Surbiton, south-west London, £160. Police said it was "crucial" he was caught as soon as possible as he "may endanger people's lives".
It comes after the NHS warned people that no-one should be turning up at doorsteps offering a vaccine for payment, following a spate of fake text messages.
Under the current coronavirus vaccine rollout plans, people will be invited to receive the vaccine by their GP or healthcare provider. Police said the victim allowed the man into her home on the afternoon of 30 December after he said he was from the NHS and there to administer the Covid-19 vaccine.
She said she was jabbed in the arm with a "dart-like implement" before being charged £160, which the man said would be refunded by the NHS. Police said it was not known what substance, if any, was administered, but the woman had been checked at her local hospital and showed no ill effects.
The man made a second visit to the woman's home on 4 January, when he asked for another £100, police said.
Officers released CCTV footage on Friday of a man dressed in a navy blue tracksuit with white stripes down the side, who they want to speak to in connection with the incident. He is described as a white man in his early 30s, who is about 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall, of medium build, with light brown hair that is combed back. He speaks with a London accent.
Anyone with information about the identity of this man, or CCTV or Dashcam footage from the area at the time of the incident, should call 101, quoting reference 3042 and the date 07 Jan 2021. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, via their website or by calling 0800 555 111, quoting the same reference.
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