Fake COVID vaccine cards are a growing — and illegal — trend. Here’s what’s being done

People are selling bogus COVID-19 vaccination cards on the internet at an alarming rate, and officials are trying to crack down on them.

When someone gets vaccinated against the coronavirus, they receive a vaccination card at their first appointment. It lists which of the three authorized vaccines the person received and the date and location of each shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People need to keep their vaccination cards as proof that they received a shot. Experts have said that the cards could in the future be the ticket to some activities like traveling, entering schools or using mass transit, McClatchy News reported.

Because they might be important in the coming months, some people have started selling fake ones online, which are illegal, the FBI said Tuesday.

“Be aware of individuals selling fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards and encouraging others to print fake cards at home,” an FBI public service announcement said. “Fake vaccination record cards have been advertised on social media websites, as well as e-commerce platforms and blogs.”

Listings for the fraudulent cards with a CDC logo have appeared on major online platforms such as Twitter, Shopify and eBay. Attorneys general from 45 states sent a letter Thursday to the CEOs of those major companies asking them not to allow the fake vaccine card sales on their platforms.

“The false and deceptive marketing and sales of fake COVID vaccine cards threatens the health of our communities, slows progress in getting our residents protected from the virus, and are a violation of the laws of many states,” the attorneys general said. “Multiple states’ laws provide for injunctive relief, damages, penalties, and other remedies for such conduct.”

Officials asked the online platforms to specifically monitor their sites for ads or links that market or sell the blank or fake cards and to take them down. They also ask that the platforms record the “content, username and actual user identity” of people who post the ads or links.

“The use of your platforms to disseminate the deceptive marketing and sales of fake vaccine cards is a threat to residents of our states,” the officials said. “As a result, we are asking you to take immediate action to prevent your platforms from being used as a vehicle to commit these fraudulent and deceptive acts that harm our communities.”

Shopify said selling COVID-19 vaccine cards on its platforms is a violation of its use policies, the company told McClatchy News in an email.

“We have been proactively monitoring our platform for the sale of COVID vaccine cards since February, and all stores that we identified for violating our policies were actioned swiftly,” Shopify Vice President of Legal Vivek Narayanadas said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the state attorneys general to protect consumers from fraudulent or misleading practices related to COVID-19.”

People who get a real COVID-19 vaccine card after they’re vaccinated also shouldn’t post it to social media, the Better Business Bureau said. The photo could give strangers access to your personal information, including your birthday, legal name and where you were vaccinated.

“If your social media privacy settings aren’t set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use,” the bureau said.

This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Fake COVID vaccine cards are a growing — and illegal — trend. Here’s what’s being done."