By Allison Perrine
MONMOUTH COUNTY – Residents should be aware of COVID-19-related scams circulating in the area, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
During the pandemic, scams have “taken a new twist” and have a “new sense of urgency,” Gramiccioni reported in a press release issued Jan. 19. Con artists have been targeting senior citizens offering access to the COVID-19 vaccine by some form of payment while posing as representatives of doctor’s offices, insurance companies and vaccine centers. Some have also offered to ship it to the person directly for a deposit or fee, place the individual on the waiting list or add medical testing and treatment when receiving the vaccine.
“We live in a world where scammers will try anything to get your personal information, medical information, and even your life’s savings using devious tactics. They are willing to pretend to be anyone just to take advantage of you. Please be vigilant – if it seems questionable, then trust your instincts that it is,” said Gramiccioni.
During these calls, scammers will ask for personal or medical information about the individual to “determine” if they “qualify” for the vaccine, he added. That often includes inquiries for Social Security or Medicare ID numbers, birth dates, credit card or banking information. And they’re not only making contact by phone but through social media ads from unknown sources on platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“The most important piece of advice during this unusual time is to be overly skeptical of any unsolicited offers of any kind, to stay vigilant no matter how convincing the voice on the other side of the phone may be,” said Gramiccioni. “Just because it is on the internet does not make it safe or true. Do not share personally identifiable information ever over the phone… Obtaining this information to defraud you is the ultimate objective.”
To help residents detect some potential indicators of fraudulent activity, the prosecutor advised that individuals be on the lookout for offers for early access to a vaccine upon payment of a deposit or fee; requests to pay out of pocket to get the vaccine or put a name on the waiting list; offers to undergo additional medical testing or procedures when obtaining a vaccine; marketers offering to sell or ship doses of a vaccine, domestically or internationally, in exchange for payment; unsolicited emails, phone calls or personal contact requesting personal or medical information; claims of Food and Drug Administration approval for a vaccine that cannot be verified; advertisements for vaccines; and claims that government officials require the victim to receive a vaccine.
Gramiccioni added that to avoid these scams, resident take proactive steps to learn more about the vaccination process through trusted sources. That includes consulting the state’s health department website for updated information; checking the FDA’s website, fda.gov, for information about vaccine emergency use authorizations; consulting primary care physicians before undergoing vaccinations; not sharing personal information with anyone aside from known and trusted medical professionals; and following CDC guidelines.
Even at the beginning on the pandemic in March 2020, scams were popping up nationwide – and the Two River area was no exception. At that time Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and a group of fellow senators wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission urging the agency to protect seniors from COVID-related scams and help them protect themselves from being targeted.
“At this time of heightened public fears, reports have highlighted that scams pertaining to the coronavirus are increasing, and that seniors – arguably the most vulnerable population to both the coronavirus and bad actors – have been targeted with calls telling them that the COVID-19 vaccination is ready when no such treatment currently exists. Other reports have outlined how scammers have gone to the homes of elderly people to administer fake tests while also charging them and obtaining their social security numbers,” the senators wrote in the letter to FTC chairman Joseph Simons. “While the FTC has added information to its website to inform consumers about COVID-19 scams, we believe additional measures must be taken to educate seniors and provide consumers with information about how to seek recourse if they are targeted.”
For accurate and up-to-date information about COVID-19, Gramiccioni asks residents to visit websites including coronavirus.gov; cdc.gov/coronavirus; usa.gov/coronavirus; fbi.gov/coronavirus; justice.gov/coronavirus; and oig.hhs.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone who believes they may have been the victim of a COVID-19-related fraud scam should immediately report it to their local police department.
The article originally appeared in the January 28 – February 3, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
