INDIANAPOLIS — There is a serious warning from the FBI Indianapolis Field Office about COVID-19 vaccine scams. There are scammers reaching out to people to convince them to pay for the free vaccines.
Federal agents working in the Indianapolis field office shared with 13News that there is a rise in telephone calls, emails and text messages offering quick access to the vaccine shots for a fee. The scammers have even gone as far as convincing people to pay to skip the line. The vaccine is free to anyone who is eligible, but there are still some people who don't realize they do not have to pay for it.
Federal agents advise that you talk with elderly family members and listen to that inner voice when something sounds suspicious. Special Agent Spencer Brooks told 13News, elderly people are the most vulnerable.
"A lot of the same warnings apply that we warn people about when it comes to protecting your personal Identifying information," Brooks said. "But when it comes to vaccines specifically, you should never respond to something on a social media platform or someone telling you that you need to pay to get access to the vaccine."
Brooks wants people to recognize the red flags when they are contacted by unsolicited people or so-called companies. The same scammer will also try to obtain general medical information such as a Medicare or Medicaid account numbers according to Brooks. He believes, in many cases, there is something that tells people to be aware especially when something just seems too good to be true.
"Unfortunately, we see a lot of our elderly population fall prey to some of these scams," Brooks said. "I am certain that a lot of people who have been through that, that in their gut they thought, 'this isn't completely right.' But they went ahead and went through with it. So, you got to be able to recognize and step back from that for a minute."
Special Agent Brooks also told 13News scammers are after personal medical information. He suggests that each person has a family member, coworker, or friend to share details about calls and requests where someone is asking or demanding payment. Brooks warned that often the scammers will use pressure tactics to convince their victims to make payment immediately or lose out on the deal, which is another red flag.
"The fraudsters want to put you in a high-pressure situation and force you into a decision," Brooks said. "If you can step back and realize, 'why am I being forced into a decision about the vaccine?' that is what the fraudsters want to do is to put you in a situation where you feel like you have to act."
Fraud victims should report scams right away to their local FBI or law enforcement agency. Brooks stressed people should always remember if something sound too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.
