As the state of Iowa opened up COVID-19 vaccine availability to all residents over the age of 16, the floodgate opened on new scams as well. Iowa Attorney General, Tom Miller, is warning residents about the production and sale of fraudulent vaccination cards. The cards, which are given to those inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine by their healthcare providers, have been found for sale online. “If you see these cards for sale, we urge you to report them to us or other authorities,” Miller says. “This is fraud and it puts people at risk.” In April, Miller joined a bipartisan group of attorneys general who urged Twitter, eBay and Shopify to immediately take action to prevent their platforms from being used to sell these fraudulent cards. “The false and deceptive marketing and sales of fake COVID vaccine cards threatens the health of our communities, slows progress in getting our residents protected from the virus and are a violation of the laws of many states,” the letter says. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also chimed in, recently publishing an alert warning against the sale, purchase and use of such cards, noting they are a violation of federal law. Those who forge a vaccination card to travel, return to work or attend large events could be criminally charged with knowingly putting other people at risk of contracting COVID-19. The most effective way to avoid a fake vaccination card scam is to simply not purchase one, but holders should not share images of the vaccination card on social media and they can report any fake card sales they see online by using the contact points included below.
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To report fake COVID-19 vaccination cards:
Iowa Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division:
Email: consumer@ag.iowa.gov
Phone: 515-281-5926
Toll Free: 888-777-4590
Federal Trade Commission:
Website: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/
