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Got Vaccinated? Think Twice Before Sharing on Social Media

Posted in Consumer Protection, In the news on February 15, 2021

You received your COVID-19 vaccine. You’re excited to share the good news on social media. Perhaps you want to encourage others to get a vaccine. That’s completely normal. In fact, it sends a positive message about public health. There’s just one problem. According to the Better Business Burea, sharing a picture of your vaccination card on social media could make you a target for identity theft.

What to watch out for

vaccine sticker

Share a vaccination sticker—rather than a vaccination card—on social media.

A vaccination card contains personal information, including your name, birthday and where you received the shot. This makes you vulnerable to scammers.

In addition, the card—often given after the first dose of the vaccine—provides information that crooks can use to create and sell fake vaccination cards online. Scammers in Great Britain were caught selling fake cards on eBay and TikTok.

How to share safely on social media

  • Share your vaccine sticker or use a profile frame.
    • A vaccine sticker doesn’t reveal personal information.
  • Review your security settings.
    • Check your security settings on all social media platforms to see what you are sharing and with whom. If you only want friends and family to see your posts, be sure that’s how your privacy settings are configured.
  • Be wary of answering popular social media prompts.
    • Be cautious about participating in other viral personal posts. This includes listing all the cars you’ve owned, favorite songs and top 10 TV shows. Some of these “favorite things” are commonly used passwords or security questions.

Additional information

  • If you’ve spotted a scam, report it here.
  • To learn more about avoiding scams, click here.
  • To sign up for scam alerts, click here.

Source: Better Business Bureau