Beware of Covid 19 Vaccine Scams

Beware of Covid 19 Vaccine Scams

Submitted by 05698-1 on 7 May, 2021
beware covid

Receiving a vaccine against COVID-19 provides us with the necessary precautions from experiencing severe symptoms of the virus. However, this wonderful idea has been turned into a nightmare by some fraudsters, as they use misinformation and coercion disguised as an attempt at providing legitimate vaccines. This idea is being used by scammers and fraudsters in their campaigns to spew out fraudulent emails or SMS, spread baseless claims about the vaccines, extort money, and steal personal information from the public.

The scams usually focus on the following:

  • You are offered early access
  • You can get the vaccine on a waiting list for a fee
  • The vaccine will be shipped directly to your home address

If you have encountered this, what should you do?
If you have received an unsolicited email from someone you do not know, always be extra vigilant and scrutinize it for telltale signs of a scam. The following tips will also protect you from scam attempts:

  • Avoid clicking on links or downloading files that you have received by email from a source you do not know and cannot independently verify
  • Be wary of any unsolicited emails offering to sell you covid-19 vaccines, in which offers seem too good to be true
  • If you receive any email allegedly coming from DOH, IATF, or your local public office, check their official website and contact them through their official channels to determine whether they really sent the email

Most important warning from your PBCOM family is that we will never offer covid-19 vaccines for public consumption. It will always be the Philippine Government and their designated organizations that will allow the official administration of COVID-19 vaccines.