The FBI and other US federal agencies on Monday issued a warning about scams related to offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people, usually for a downpayment or for their medical and personal details.Â
It follows a year of COVID-19 scams that have touted fake cures and charities while seeking your bank info.Â
Read more:Â COVID-19 vaccine: Hidden costs, where to get it, vaccination cards, more
Some of the vaccine scams the FBI warned of include:Â
- Ads offering early access to the vaccine at a fee
- Requests asking people to pay to put their name on a vaccine waitlist
- Offers to have doses of the vaccine shipped to you for a fee
- Emails or phone calls from someone claiming to be at a vaccine center, medical office or insurance company asking for personal and medical details to see if you're eligible to obtain the vaccine
- Ads for vaccines on social media, online, email or phone calls from any unknown source
- Emails or phone calls claiming to be from the government saying you must receive the vaccine
You can report any COVID-19 vaccine scams to the FBI through ic3.gov, tips.fbi.gov or calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Here's how to protect yourself from identity theft during COVID-19.