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More and more places are requiring proof that you’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine or have recently tested negative before giving you access. Scammers see this as an opportunity to profit by selling fake verification tools or products, like fake vaccination cards, certificates, and test results.

Our advice:

  • Know that buying fake vaccine cards, making your own, or filling in blank cards with false information is illegal and could get you fined, or even land you in jail.
  • Don’t share personal information with people you don’t know. Scammers will turn the tables and sell your data or use it to commit identity theft.
  • The only legitimate way to get proof that you’re vaccinated — or that you test negative — is to GET vaccinated or to TEST negative. If you lose that proof, check with your state health department or the place you got vaccinated to find out how you might be able to get a replacement.

If you spot a fake vaccine card, report it to the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or oig.hhs.gov, or file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

You can also file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report can make a difference. We use reports like yours to investigate, bring law enforcement cases, and alert people about what frauds to be on the lookout for so they can protect themselves, their friends, and family.

To learn more about COVID-related scams, visit ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams and subscribe to consumer alerts from the FTC to get updates delivered right to your email inbox.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
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  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

leconard
August 20, 2021
Looking at my vaccination card I can't imagine how to distinguish a fake from real.
BPW
August 20, 2021
How ironic! People are willing to fork over hard-earned dollars for a fake card when the vaccine itself--and the real card--are FREE!
Michael
August 20, 2021
I read where scrammers are selling fake COVID-19 Cards. I don't trust anyone anymore. Suppose which I did, I didn't I would would need my COVID-19 Card anymore. And I just Shredded this up, thinking I wasn't going to be needing anymore. I guess I could con- tact my State Health Department, & see if I can get another that way. Or go by the Walmart Store, where I go it at.
CFuller
August 20, 2021
Something worth mentioning, is the cost and effort to get a fake vaccination card or negative test is better spent getting the actual vaccine or test - for free. The other point is the serious health risk of not being protected or not knowing if one is infected with the covid19 virus; both potentially life threatening. Seems hardly worth the effort or expense to fake this stuff.
Battery
August 30, 2021

In reply to by CFuller

Actually it’s super hard to get a COVID test free without waiting a week plus. You can go to urgent care but then it’s 100 plus dollars if it have no insurance
Jules
August 21, 2021
Don't you think it is a little late? There are tons of these cards already out= requiring a "real" vax card is now counterproductive, you run the risk of letting someone into your environment that is unvaccinated and since those already vaccinated don't seem to retain their "defense", I am in earnest in my question-then what really is the scientific purpose for having someone show a "faux or potentially real" ID card-
Lisa
August 21, 2021
To answer some of the comments here, it's clear people who are buying these cards from possible scammers simply don't want the vaccine even if it's free, otherwise why would they pay so much money to get a fake one? I still think faking a vaccination card is silly. I myself am vaccinated, but if other people aren't, that's their choice. If they choose to fake a card and get caught, that's on them. People seem to be willing to take that risk over the vaccine.
Donjoan't use …
August 23, 2021
Thank you for alll your information and it is so sad that these people would even do this kind of stuff!!
ted
September 03, 2021
You say that you could face jail time and or fine. However you do not cite what law is being broken and the card is not a government issued card. My question is how is it illegal.
FTC Staff
September 20, 2021

In reply to by ted

Buying fake vaccine cards, making your own, or filling in blank cards with false information is illegal and could get you fined, or even land you in jail. The FBI has stated that unauthorized use of an official government agency's seal (such as HHS or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) is a crime and may be punishable under Title 18 United States Code, Section 1017, and other applicable laws.

Mark
September 07, 2021
Where there is money to be made people will always sell fakes. The U.S. should have printed it with a water mark or SOMETHING to make it just a bit harder to copy/make but we don't think anymore apparently.
Azula
September 10, 2021
I have proof that someone has been selling fake vaccination cards, but I have no idea how to report it. This site and the recommended external links are confusing. Seems like they aren’t taking this seriously.
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