The Best Business Bureau is warning British Columbians that their COVID-19 vaccine card could be the next target of identity scammers and thieves.
It will still be months before most BC residents get their first look at the vaccine, but, when they do, they will be entitled to a hard copy of their vaccination certificate.
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While official data about their vaccine status is held in a regional secure database, the card itself reveals a number of potentially sensitive personal information, including name, date of birth. , vaccine batch number and vaccination dates.
BC Ministry of Health.
Ministry of Health BC
The group is urging British Columbians not to post pictures online of their cards.
“With the good news about getting vaccinated and encouraging others to do the same, we need to keep in mind that not everyone on social media is trustworthy,” said someone. BBC talk Karla Laird.
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“If your social media privacy settings are not high, you are probably giving away valuable information for anyone to use. Scammers and fraudsters quickly see opportunities where they can turn the sharing of innocent information into schemes that exploit others. ”
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The BBB also warns that sharing pictures of vaccine cards could help scammers create real, fake versions.
The group is drawing attention to recent reports of fake vaccine cards coming up in the UK
Such counterfeit cards have not yet been reported in BC, but the BBB says “it is only a matter of time before such people come to Canada.”
When people get their vaccine and want to share the news with friends, the Best Business Bureau recommends sharing a picture of a vaccine sticker, or putting a frame around their profile picture .
It also reminds people to check the security settings on their social media profiles and be wary of social media trends that involve the sharing of personal information.
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Shipping delays from all major COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers have kinked in the department’s plans to vaccinate the public.
Care home residents and frontline health care workers remain a priority, and the province said in January that it hopes to begin a major elderly vaccination in April and May.
Younger British Columbians are not expected to get the first sightings of the vaccine until July or August.
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