Scammers taking advantage of COVID-19 vaccine desperation

As thousands try to snag a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, scammers are preying on your desperation, using multiple methods to take advantage of the distribution.

Scammers are using several ways to try to get seniors to book an appointment with them instead of with a real system.

They’re posting fraudulent appointment sites with openings for a fee. Any site that tries to charge you for the vaccine or to expedite the process is a scam.

Scammers are also claiming they do in-home vaccinations through Medicare. They’re requesting seniors send their Medicare card in order to schedule one. Medicare representatives will never visit seniors at home nor call to sell something.

Scammers are also calling seniors, posing as county health officials or a vaccination site rep to set up an appointment and asking for personal information. They’ll even tell you to go to a local vaccination site at a specific time.

Be wary of anyone asking for your Social Security number.

Anyone who suspects a COVID-19 vaccine-related scam should report it to the Attorney General’s Office.

https://winknews.com/wp-content/uploads/vaccine-scams2020.pdf

Protect yourself from COVID-19 vaccine scams (pdf)