Officials Warn of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams

Connecticut officials are warning businesses and residents to be wary of scams related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Gov. Ned Lamont alerted residents to watch for certain red flags to avoid being scammed.

Lamont’s advice comes as Connecticut moves to the next stage of the vaccination process, which includes those aged 75 and older.

“We can’t let bad actors interfere with our efforts to ensure our residents are healthy and we bounce back from this pandemic strong,” Lamont said in a statement.

Personal Information

He reminded people that no one from a legitimate vaccination immunization clinic or site will ask for Social Security or bank information.

Police in Meriden recently said scammers posing as COVID-19 contact tracers called residents and requested private information such as financial information and Social Security numbers.

Several people who got the calls became suspicious and notified police.

Lamont also reminded residents that:

• You can’t pay to get early access to the vaccine
• Health insurance is not required to receive a vaccine—although you may be asked to provide health insurance information when receiving the shot
• Patients will never be asked to pay to get their name on a list for the vaccine

Email Scams

Lamont warned of internet scammers posing as legitimate businesses or organizations claiming to be related to vaccine distribution while trying to steal personal or financial information.

“People should ensure that emails related to the vaccine are coming from legitimate sources before clicking links or opening attachments,” he said.

“When providing personal information, people should double check the URL to ensure its legitimacy.”

There are a limited number of approved vaccines, so be suspicious of anyone offering a “miracle cure.”

There are a limited number of federally approved vaccines, so residents should be suspicious of anyone offering a “miracle cure” treatment or medication that claims to prevent the virus, he said.

If you have been a victim of a scam or suspect someone tried to scam you, notify state and local authorities.

You may email the Department of Consumer Protection about suspected fraud or business-related scams.

Suspicious activity related vaccine distribution or concerns for public health should be reported to local law enforcement and your local health department or district.