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Most people aren't yet eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but the eagerness of many people to receive the vaccine has led to a string of fraudulent offers.
At the moment, the only people eligible for the vaccine in Southern California are healthcare workers, nursing home employees, and seniors in counties that are already vaccinating those over the age of 65.
"If someone is offering [a vaccine] to you in a phone call, or a text or an email, or even knocking at your door, it's a scam, and they're trying to steal your money,” L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer said. “Or, they're trying to get your personal information, or maybe both.”
Feuer added that his office has even heard of scams offering to mail a vaccine that the recipient would inject themselves.
Such offers are immediate red flags. Additionally, vaccines are distributed without collecting direct payment, so if someone is asking for money, it's definitely a scam.