TOLEDO, Ohio — Our VERIFY team is learning that scammers are standing by, ready to use your COVID-19 vaccination against you.
If you've already been vaccinated, you likely received a record card. But be careful before showing it off on social media.
That's the warning from the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC said bluntly, "social media is no place for COVID-19 vaccination cards."
Dick Eppstein with the BBB agreed.
"We already know that some of these criminals are taking these images from social media and creating their own CDC cards... and then selling them to people for $12, $15," Eppstein said.
Both organizations warned of several dangerous outcomes. Scammers could steal your personal information or duplicate these cards and potentially mess up your next dose.
"The ID cards that we all receive when we get the vaccine have personal information on them," said Dr. Brian Kaminski, ProMedica vice president of quality and patient safety. "Our name, our birthdate. It also shows where you received the vaccine and in some cases, in some locations, they might even be putting a number on there, like a medical record number, which is just a target for hackers. There are bad people out there that are motivated to do bad things."
There is value to posting about getting vaccinated. Kaminski and Eppstein agreed it can help to promote this important safety measure.
But rather than posting the record card online, they recommend posting a photo of the sticker or pin you receive, instead.