The Better Business Bureau is warning people against sharing photos of their COVID-19 vaccination cards online, saying it's an easy way for scammers to steal identities.
"When you release a photo of that card, it has your personal, identifiable information," Sandra Guile, director of communications for the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, told Good Morning America. "It's got your date of birth and your first and last name. With that information, there are some unsavory individuals out there that are going to take that and they're going to try to open up credit cards, buy cell phones, go shopping online."
Scam artists in the United Kingdom have also used photos to create fake vaccination cards that they turn around and sell. "The best thing for people to do right now is to treat their personal information like cash, protect it," Guile said.
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Public health officials want people to post online about getting the vaccine, in order to spread the word and show others it's safe. Guile suggests instead of sharing a photo of a vaccination card, take a picture right after receiving the shot and post that — and also, check the security settings to ensure only friends and family can see it. Additionally, people should not give any personal information or money to anyone calling or sending text messages promising to help them get a COVID-19 vaccine. "Just ignore it and delete it," Guile said.
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