Less than 48 hours after the U.S. launched its mass vaccination campaign against the coronavirus, complaints are already piling up, from citizens who have become the victims of fraud by individuals or companies who managed to persuade them to divulge personal and credit card information in return for a promise to get them access to a vaccine.
Interpol has long been warning that the “coronavirus era” presents unique opportunities for unscrupulous individuals to steal money and data, noting a significant rise in cyber crime over the past months. In addition, crooks have been promising all kinds of “cures” for coronavirus, enticing for those desperate enough to try them out. Now, with vaccines being rolled out, a new opening has appeared for such criminals to promise their targets that they will be “first in line” for a dose or two, as the vaccines will not be made widely available for some time, and in the interim, the doses available will be funneled to healthcare workers and those in long-term care facilities.
According to a report on CNN, the FBI has already opened a number of investigations after numerous complaints were received from citizens who were duped into giving their personal details to anonymous people who contacted them and identified themselves as being responsible for delivering vaccines.
“The FBI has received complaints about con artists using the public interest in Covid-19 vaccines to obtain personally identifiable information and funds through various schemes,” the FBI wrote to CNN. “Crooks are continuing to exploit the pandemic for personal gain.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) has been working in recent days to stop the sale of unapproved "anti-coronavirus" drugs that could pose a danger to public health. Seven companies have been sent letters by the Federal Trade Commission, warning them to desist from selling products with “scientifically unsubstantiated claims,” France24 reports.
“Selling fake vaccines and other treatments is probably just one of the many ways fraudsters will try to profit from the release of the vaccine,” the Better Business Bureau wrote in a press release.