Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe on Thursday urged San Mateo County residents to be on the lookout for COVID-19 vaccine distribution scams.
And that's because, he said, fraudsters may try to exploit the uncertainty and anxiety associated with emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic to take people's money or steal their identities.
The scams, so far detected by county authorities, include someone offering, for a fee, to place you in a group of people who are already being vaccinated so they can also receive the immunization.
Also, try to sell you a spot on the waiting list for the COVID-19 vaccine, or try to sell it to you through websites, social media, or by knocking on your door.
Receiving calls, text messages or emails about the vaccine, where a person asks you for personal or financial information, is also part of the strategies used by these types of scammers.
In view of the latter, the authorities request that NEVER share information such as your social security number, bank account or credit card.
Another form of quackery is all those advertisements for bogus vaccines or "miracle cures" using vitamins or other dietary supplements, which are promoted by scammers even though they have not been proven to work.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent warning letters to many companies for selling products that claim to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19.
The county also states that if a doctor, health care clinic, pharmacy, or so-called county health program, which is not well known in your area, offers you a vaccine, "think twice and consult your doctor"..
"Residents and businesses can protect themselves from becoming victims of COVID-19 scams by relying on vaccines and other medical information only from trusted sources, such as their personal health care providers and county, state and federal public health officials," San Mateo County said in a statement.
It is important to know that if you want to report a COVID-19 scam in San Mateo County, you should contact the District Attorney's Office at (650) 363-4651, https://da.smcgov.org/consumer-and-environmental-protection or your local police department.
It should be emphasized that the use of masks, social distancing and frequent hand washing remain important in combating the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
