While a Connecticut man didn’t quite find a lump of coal in his stocking, he was recently surprised with another unwelcome gift: a fake vaccine card.
According to the Connecticut Post, the unnamed man from North Stamford, Conn., ordered a case to hold his passport and his own vaccine card through Amazon. When it arrived, he found a blank imitation COVID-19 vaccine card in the packaging.
Typically, health care providers sign vaccine cards when patients receive doses of COVID-19 vaccines. With the spread of the omicron variant, proof of vaccination is being required for more activities, including indoor dining in some areas of the country.
“It is even a little bigger than the real card,” the North Stamford man told Attorney General William Tong’s office.
When the man reached out to Connecticut state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, he realized that there were references to the card in reviews for the passport holder. Blumenthal’s office alerted Amazon to remove the listing.
A spokesperson for Amazon said the company does “not allow the products in question in our store.” The company also said measures are in place to prevent prohibited products such as counterfeit vaccine cards being listed for sale. Amazon informed Tong’s office that the listing was designed to bypass the online retailer’s detection algorithm.
A box of fake vaccine cards also popped up in Connecticut during an April rally at the State Capitol ahead of Connecticut lawmakers’ planned vote on overturning religious exemptions for traditional vaccines in public schools.
Fake cards have also have been found in other states.
Since August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers have seized thousands of fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards at international mail facilities and at express consignment carrier facilities, according to the Department of Justice. Most fraudulent COVID vaccination cards originate from Asia and packages are commonly found to be falsely labeled, said the department.
A man who has been charged in relation to distribution of false COVID-19 vaccine cards in Maryland now faces maximum 20-year sentences each for mail fraud and for obstruction of justice. Earlier this week, a North Carolina police chief was put on unpaid leave because he reportedly was telling officers about a “clinic” to get false vaccination cards.
A COVID-19 fraud task force was created earlier this year to crack down on crimes related to the pandemic.
In Connecticut, Tong’s office said the cards may violate the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act.
“Fake vaccination cards are deceptive, dangerous, and unlawful,” Tong said in a statement. “The Office of the Attorney General is in close coordination with our law enforcement partners and stands ready to take strong legal action to protect public health and safety.”
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