COVID Vaccine Scams: Here’s How They Work And What You Should Do

Scammers are using your desire for the COVID-19 vaccine to try to rip you off.

A warning from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office says fraudsters, who pretend they're calling from a doctor's office, an insurance company or vaccine center, are targeting residents, especially senior citizens.

“We live in a world where scammers will try anything to get your personal information, medical information, and even your life’s savings using devious tactics," said Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni in a statement. "They are willing to pretend to be anyone just to take advantage of you."

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Here's how it works. Scammers are offering early access to the coronavirus vaccine for some sort of payment, promising to ship the vaccine directly to you for a fee or deposit. They may say they'll place you on a waiting list or give additional medical testing and treatment.

They'll ask you for personal or medical information to see if you "qualify" for the vaccine, authorities said. The goal is to convince you to turn over your Social Security number, Medicare identification number, date of birth or credit card or bank account information.

"The most important piece of advice during this unusual time is to be overly skeptical of any unsolicited offers of any kind, to stay vigilant no matter how convincing the voice on the other side of the phone may be," Gramaccioni said.

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Other scams may show up on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter as advertisements touting access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

What should you do? According to authorities:

Never share personal identifiable information with a caller over the telephone. Check the state Department of Heath's website at covid19.nj.gov for information about the vaccine. Check the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website at fda.gov for current information about vaccine emergency use authorizations. Check your medical bills and insurance explanation of benefits for suspicious claims and report errors to your health insurance provider. Follow online safety techniques such as don't open emails or attachments from unknown individuals, verify web addresses or emails that look legitimate but may be spoofs, and use anti-virus software on your computer.

David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for more than 20 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There and Press on Your Side columns and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: COVID vaccine scams: Here is how they work and what you should do

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