SAN ANTONIO — Online black markets for vaccine cards are becoming more of a concern online as immunizations continue to be distributed across the country.
For these schemers, the pandemic is like a season. They know now is the time to try and take advantage of unsuspecting people before the pandemic ends and their window of opportunity closes.
"A lot of times they'll follow the holidays, but right now, with the the vaccine rollout, they've moved from the PPE scams right into the vaccine scams to now the vaccine card scheme," said J. Michael Skiba, who leads the department of criminal justice at Colorado State University, and also an international counter-fraud consultant.
The demand is driven by two factors.
"One is you have a segment of the population, one that either chooses not to get the vaccine, or, two, maybe can't get the vaccine," Skiba said. "But then, second to that, you have an environment right now where you have certain companies – even airlines – that are asking for the card as (a way) to gain access to certain areas."
Would-be criminals use different elements in these vaccine schemes. They can replicate your card and sell it to make a quick buck. They can pretend to be your vaccine provider to get more personal info out of you with using the details on the card. They could also use the information on the card to outright steal your identity.
Losing your card, whether it is after both doses or between them, can also lead to problems.
"They'll go ahead and look up your information and call you to confirm your second," said Rania Mankarious, CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston. "And in doing that, (they) say, 'Give us a little bit more information, your social security number, your address,' as as a phishing scam."
Buying fake vaccine cards online is also a crime.
"You're buying something that's fraudulent," Mankarious said. "Similar to buying stolen property. You're buying something that should not be sold in the course of business."
Metro Health says that, if you lose your vaccine card, you should contact your provider to get a new one. You can also request one through DSHS records by calling 1-800-252-9152.