It seems there’s nothing scammers won’t do to try and make a buck, and that includes scamming people over the COVID vaccine.
State Attorney General Chris Carr and the Georgia Department of Health warn Georgians that scammers are trying to exploit the vaccine rollout. They’re calling, texting, even emailing consumers asking for payment for the promise of getting the vaccine, scheduling an appointment, or getting on the waiting list.
“Scam artists are attempting to take advantage of people’s sense of urgency about getting the vaccine,” says Carr. “Remember that the vaccine is free, and you should hang up on any caller who asks you for money or personal information related to the vaccine.”
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and the Georgia Department of Public Health offer the following tips to avoid falling for a Covid-19 vaccine scam:
- You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine. That’s a scam.
- You can’t buy a COVID-19 vaccination through the mail, online, or in stores.
- No one from a legitimate vaccine distribution site or insurance company will call to ask for your Social Security number, bank account, or credit card number. That’s a scam.
- The Department of Health will not call to verify your Social Security number or Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance ID over the phone.
- Medicare will not call beneficiaries to offer COVID-19 related products, services, or benefit reviews.
All Georgians aged 16 and older are now eligible to receive the COVID vaccine. To find a vaccination location or schedule an appointment, log on to dph.ga.gov/covid-vaccine or visit myvaccinegeorgia.com to schedule an appointment at a GEMA mass vaccination site. Vaccines are also available at pharmacies throughout the state and can be found using VaccineFinder.org.
Because of the high demand for vaccines, sites are booking up quickly. Still, there are places you can go to get the vaccine without an appointment, including the mass vaccination site at the Habersham County Fairgrounds in Clarkesville and, beginning April 8, at the Macon Farmers Market Mass Vaccination Site in Macon.
