PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Just about everybody is restless to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. But Pennsylvania authorities have a warning: “Please don’t fork over any money or personal information to get a vaccine.”
That’s according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who teamed up with U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan for an online town hall cautioning the public about COVID-19 scams.
In 2020 alone, overall reports of scams increased by 1.5 million claims, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
“Most of that increase is directly due to the COVID crisis and scammers who seek to prey on people’s vulnerabilities and fear about the COVID crisis,” said Houlahan.
Scammers are also aware that more people are home during the pandemic, so there’s a greater chance they will answer their phones and be vulnerable to deceit.
Shapiro said anyone can be scammed, not just older adults.
“Be on the alert as the vaccine rolls out,” he said. “We’re already seeing scammers working overtime, taking advantage of consumers to force you to pay for the vaccine — which is being offered at no cost.”
No one should pay for a COVID-19 vaccine. Shapiro advised to never give your personal information to anyone you don’t know. And if you’re asked to pay for a vaccination over the phone or by email, it’s a rip-off.
“If they’re reaching out to you in an unsolicited way, 99.9% of the time it’s going to be a scam,” Shapiro added.
Another sign of a scam is if someone is asking you to pay for a vaccination with a gift card. Shapiro said scammers know gift cards are harder to trace by authorities.
“Now is not the time to stop protecting yourself and those around you. Not just your physical health, but from scams,” he said.