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AskCyber Home » News » News » Don’t Post Your Vaccine Card Online

Don’t Post Your Vaccine Card Online

2021-02-03 by Michelle Dvorak

Vaccine Card Scams

BBB Warns of Scams Related to COVID-19 Vaccine Cards

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is cautioning people against posting photos of their COVID-19 vaccine cards online. Cybercriminals are using the sensitive data contained on vaccination cards to steal information and money from vaccine recipients.

Posting a photo of your COVID-19 vaccination card online can lead directly to identity theft and financial theft.

The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) gives people who receive a COID-19 vaccination a paper record. The vaccination card contains information on which COVID-19 vaccine you received, the date you received it, and where you received it.

READ: Romance Scams Most Expensive Type of Fraud

Cybercriminals collect the treasure trove of personal information that people post online -vaccine cards included – and put it all together to steal from victims.

The Pfizer, the Moderna, and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccinations all require two doses. Others like Russia’s Sputnik V vaccination requires just one injection. A vaccine card can help you remember when to go for the second dose.

Vaccine Cards Give Scammers a Good Start

A vaccine card not only contains information about the injection it has also personal information about the recipient.

“Unfortunately, your card has your full name and birthday on it, as well as information about where you got your vaccine. If your social media privacy settings aren’t set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use,” says the BBB on their website.

READ How to Turn on Instagram 2FA – Make Your Account More Secure

COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Contain

  • First and last name
  • Date of birth
  • Patient ID number
  • Which vaccine was administered
  • Vaccination date for the first and second doses
  • Where you were vaccinated

The CDC vaccination card (below) is sized to fit into your wallet.

Image Credit- US Department of Defense

Scammers Harvest Data from Social Media Photos

Scammers steal personal information like the data contained on your vaccine card to carry out their various forms of fraud. This includes romance scams, tax fraud, scam phone calls, and identity theft.

When you post personal information to social media it’s not too difficult for scammers to figure out where you live and harvest other useful information like your email address or phone number.

Social media posts may contain information that answers common password reset questions. People often share pets’ photos with their names, which school they attended, or where they were married for example.

Your name and birthdate from the vaccine card can be used along with other information gleaned from social media, dating profiles, and other public-facing websites for identity theft.

READ IRS Tax Refund Identity Theft – How It Can Happen to You

All of this help hackers compromise email accounts and other online accounts.

“Sharing your personal information isn’t the only issue. Scammers in Great Britain were caught selling fake vaccination cards on eBay and TikTok,” warned the BBB.

Immunization Cards are a Not New Thing

Some countries, like Africa, have required immunization certificates for diseases like yellow fever to prevent outbreaks. International travelers can carry International Certificates of Vaccination approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and sponsored by the US Department of Health.

Image Credit: US CDC

Share Your Vaccine Sticker

Share a photo of your vaccine sticker instead of the actual vaccine card. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) created two COVID-19 vaccine stickers to encourage people to wear them after getting the jab.  Both the orange and the white version of the sticker read, “I got my Covid-19 vaccine!”

If you don’t get a sticker then just share a photo of yourself with a big smile and a thumbs up!

READ What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen

For the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the (WHO) website

Filed Under: News Tagged With: identity theft

About Michelle Dvorak

Michelle writes about cyber security, data privacy focusing on social media privacy as well as how to protect your IoT devices. She has worked in internet technology for over 20 years and owns METRONY, LLC. Michelle earned a B.S. in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Michelle published a guide to Cyber Security for Business Travelers


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