This month’s Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) Fraud Fact deals with a national COVID-19 vaccine email scam. There is a suspicious email going around that asks people to complete a survey and to receive a free reward in exchange for a nominal fee “to cover shipping.”
This is a scam to try to steal your identity and/or your money. The email may offer a reward and give you a limited time to respond. A legitimate survey would not assign a time limit. Also, it would NEVER ask for a credit card or bank account number. Scammers know people have received vaccines and are trying to capitalize on it. Don’t give out sensitive information. Fake surveys can be used to steal your information; collect data about you to commit identity theft; or to install malware on your computer when you click on a link in your email.
Here are some more tips:
- Always check the email address. An official email will not come from a Hotmail or Gmail account.
- The logo should match the company website. If it doesn’t, it’s probably a scam.
- If the email asks for a bank account or credit card, it’s a scam. Don’t give your personal information away – and that includes your Medicare information.
- Watch for typos. If there are misspellings and typos, it’s probably a scam.
- Is the address given in the email the official company address? If not, that’s a red flag.
- If you have any doubt, go to the company’s official website, and contact it through the “Contact Us” option.
Call us at the Missouri SMP at 1-888-515-6565 if you have responded to this or a similar vaccine survey email or if you suspect you have been a victim of Medicare fraud.
This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MPPG0040, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.