Scams have started to emerge around COVID-19 vaccines, Attorney General Maura Healey warned Monday, including some that falsely promise early access, promote disinformation, or use vaccination as a guise to seek and receive personal and financial details.
Healey cautioned residents to be wary of emails claiming to have a link to register for the vaccine, phone calls purporting to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and seeking personal information, and unsolicited offers asking for a payment or deposit to get on a list for vaccine access.
Her office recommended that residents call to verify any emails from employers or health care providers about signing up for a vaccine appointment and refer to the official CDC website and other reputable sources -- like the Department of Public Health, trusted health care providers and community leaders and local boards of health -- for reliable information.
"You can't pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine or to get into a vaccine clinical trial," Healey's office advised. "Information about how to access the vaccine will be widely disseminated by DPH when the vaccine becomes available to the general public. Massachusetts residents will not have to pay out of pocket for the vaccine."
Anyone with questions or concerns about vaccine scams and fraud can contact the AG's consumer hotline at 617-727-8400 or file a complaint online.
