SEISS grant 5 applicants urged to watch out as scammers target self-employed hit by Covid

Carl Wearn, head of e-crime at Mimecast, spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about the concerning matter.

“Cybercriminals continue to adjust their scams to be as timely and relevant as possible," he said.

"With the UK being in the middle of the period where eligibility for this grant can be claimed, they are looking to capitalise on unsuspecting self-employed workers expecting a rebate.

"Cybercriminals will often modify traditional attack methodologies to exploit current events such as this in an attempt to lure the vulnerable to engage with/click on links in emails, applications, or texts.

"These criminals understand that many self-employed workers have had a difficult 12 months as a result of pandemic, with many relying on this grant to get by.