KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Wednesday, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller spoke with WKZO News regarding COVID-19 scams that are occurring lately.
Fuller notes that these scams regard the COVID-19 vaccine, although they have been prevalent in related categories, such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), since the start of the pandemic.
“We had people being scammed out of thousands of dollars to buy PPE like masks and gloves and gowns from companies that do not exist, from unscrupulous players out there taking thousands of dollars and leaving you with nothing in return,” Fuller said. “That was happening quite frequently across the nation. It happened to hospitals and sheriff’s offices across the nation.”
Now, Fuller warns of scam artists selling bogus cures and other vaccination-related products.
“We’re warning everybody that this time, they are trying to sell a cure for COVID-19, or trying to get you to the front of the line,” Fuller said. “For a fee, they can get you to the front of the line for your COVID-19 shot.”
Fuller warns that any offers like these are fraudulent.
“We want people to understand that your local health department is generally in charge of the vaccination,” Fuller said. “Your doctor’s office, local pharmacies, these are the places where we will be getting these shots. You will not be put to the front of the line by paying some sort of fee online.”
Fuller also warns that scammers may use the “spoofing” tactic to make their phone number appear to be from a legitimate source.
“People will not be calling you asking to sign up, you’ll need to reach out,” Fuller said.
Sheriff Fuller’s warning comes as Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office is reporting an uptick of similar scams. More information on that topic can be found by clicking here.
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