Report: Phone scam targets persons scheduling vaccine appointments

MILWAUKEE - Scammers have a new target --  people looking to get the coronavirus vaccine. They’re pretending to be hospital staff, telling people to pay up or there will be no vaccine.

"Very heinous, very vile, but it was no surprise at all," said Lisa Schiller with the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau.

Staff at the Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin are sounding the alarm. Scammers are impersonating them over the phone to get to your money.

"Scammers know exactly what’s going on," said Schiller. "They watch the news and they try to take advantage of consumers to benefit themselves." 

They tell their victims if they don’t pay them immediately, their coronavirus vaccine appointment is canceled, or they won’t be able to make one at all. According to the BBB, emotional manipulation is typical of a scammer.

"They don’t want them to stop and think about the offer, the e-mail, or the text message," said Schiller. "They want them to just act. Now that the vaccine rollout has begun, we have started to see scams being reported to our BBB Scam Tracker throughout the country, and this is going to continue."

Just like every other scam, when you feel you’re being played, hang up.

"Call your doctor’s office directly," said Schiller. "Let them know of the message you got and inquire about where they are in the steps for getting the vaccine." 

One more scam you need to be aware of is post-vaccine identity theft.

"Scammers are selling those vaccination cards," said Schiller. "Also, scammers are using information that’s on them, so we’re asking consumers not to post a copy, picture, of their vaccination card on any type of social media." 

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For more information on what to do if you fall victim to an identity theft scam, visit the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection website.