More and more Americans are becoming eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and as many clamor for the opportunity to become immune from the virus that has killed more than a half million Americans, we need to be careful about falling victim to scammers who attempt to profit from such a unique situation. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the common COVID-19-related scams and how you can avoid them.
Avoiding A Vaccine Scam
Scammers know that there’s a large group of people who want to get the vaccine as soon as possible, and they use that urgency to their advantage. Here are some of the common scams they use, and how to know you’re going about receiving the vaccine in a safe way.
No Paid Appointments – You will never be told that you need to pay in order to book an appointment, reserve your spot or receive an earlier vaccine. Any discussion that involves you providing payment in order to secure your spot or move up the list is a clear scam. It may sound enticing to be eligible to receive the vaccine much sooner for only a $25 fee, but know that you’ll see much bigger charges on your card if you provide a scammer with your credit card number. Know that you’ll never have to pay to book or reserve a vaccine appointment.
The Shot Is Free – Similarly, if any party tells you that you have to pay for the vaccine, they are scamming you. Regardless of whether or not you have health insurance, the shot is free. It’s possible that the provider may charge your insurer an administration fee for giving you the shot, but they shot itself will come at no cost to you. Again, don’t fall for scam tactics where you are asked to pay for the vaccine in any capacity.
There Is No Way To Buy It – If you get a recorded phone call or see an ad online that suggests you can buy the vaccine, know that it is a scam. There is not a surplus of the vaccine that is being sold to individuals. Anything that says you can purchase the vaccine is a scam.
The Vaccine Site Isn’t Calling You For Payment Information – It is possible that your vaccination clinic will call you, so we’re not saying that any call from someone claiming to be with the vaccination team is a lie, but know that they will never ask you for financial data. If they ask for payment information or for a credit card on file, know that it’s a scam. Hang up.
Fake Vaccine Websites – These may be a little tougher to detect, but just make sure you’re doing your due diligence when trying to find a vaccine site near you. Trust the known sites or those that rank well on Google when performing a search, and again, know that a legitimate vaccine site will not be asking for personal data like credit card numbers or your social security number.