{"id":32878,"date":"2021-03-16T11:31:37","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T18:31:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=32878"},"modified":"2021-03-16T11:31:37","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T18:31:37","slug":"covid-scams-on-the-rise-amid-chaotic-vaccine-rollout-and-distribution-delays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=32878","title":{"rendered":"COVID SCAMS ON THE RISE AMID CHAOTIC VACCINE ROLLOUT AND DISTRIBUTION DELAYS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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by\u00a0Ethnic Media Services<\/a><\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0Mar 16, 2021<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0COVID-19<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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By Nina Mohan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Scammers are taking advantage of the confusion surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine distribution and using it as an opportunity to prey on consumers anxious to get their shots.<\/p>\n

Because distribution varies state by state and changes are announced almost daily, there\u2019s not a lot of clarity on when and how people can get vaccinated, explained Karen S. Hobbs, Assistant Director, Division of Consumer & Business Education at the Federal Trade Commission. \u201cOfficials are doing what they can, the best they can, but no state is immune to confusion and scammers are ready to take advantage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of those schemes that, like the pandemic, is affecting literally everyone, everywhere,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Hobbs said the FTC has received numerous reports of vaccine scams, though none so far have involved large numbers of people. The complaints involve scammers posing as federal and local officials, as well as hospital staff, clinic workers and healthcare providers.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are pretending to be someone you can trust in order to get money or information,\u201d she said, adding that victims have reported being asked to provide sensitive information like social security numbers, medical information and driver\u2019s license numbers.<\/p>\n

On its website, the County of Merced reported that scammers posing as clinic workers contacted Merced residents and offered them COVID-19 vaccines for an upfront $100.00 fee. After the money was paid, the victims were referred to a vaccine site where they did not have appointments.<\/p>\n

Prepaid schemes have also appeared in Ventura County, and in Skagit County, WA., local news outlets GoSkagit.com and KGMI.com have reported that scammers claiming to be Skagit County representatives called residents and offered them vaccine appointments and then asked for personal information such as a mother\u2019s maiden name or social security numbers to confirm the appointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe general message people are hearing [about vaccines] is scarcity and the logistical hurdle of delivery, and that feeds into this confusion and makes people pay attention when they get a call,\u201d explained Hobbs.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0FTC<\/a>\u00a0website offers tips on how to recognize a vaccine scam. First, you should never pay for a vaccine and anyone asking for money, whether to get you an appointment, put you on a list or reserve a spot in line, is a scammer. Other signs of a scam include:<\/p>\n