The FBI is warning Floridians about the risks of sharing photos of COVID-19 vaccine card on social media.
Scammers may steal personal information off the cards or use the images to create fake vaccine cards that they can sell.
The Federal Trade Commission echoed the warning, saying the innocuous-seeming information on the cards might reveal more than you think.
“Identity theft works like a puzzle, made up of pieces of personal information,” wrote attorney Seena Gressing of the FTC’s Division of Consumer and Business Education. “You don’t want to give identity thieves the pieces they need to finish the picture. One of those pieces is your date of birth. For example, just by knowing your date and place of birth, scammers sometimes can guess most of the digits of your Social Security number.”
Gressing suggested posting a photo of the plastic bandage on your arm to celebrate instead.
The FBI says it is a crime to buy fake vaccine cards, make your own or fill in blank cards with false information. The unauthorized use of government agency seals or logos like those found on vaccine cards can be punished with a fine or up to five years in prison.
To report suspicious activity involving fake vaccination record cards, contact the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or oig.hhs.gov, the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, or your local FBI field office.
Contact Sydney Boles at sboles@wjct.org, or on Twitter at @sydneyboles.
Copyright 2021 WJCT News 89.9.
