Attorney General Maura Healey cautioned Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccine scams continue to target Massachusetts residents, in some cases hitting those who have already received or registered for the immunization.
Healey, who has warned several times that residents should remain vigilant about fraud efforts, issued an updated advisory urging consumers not to respond to or click links from someone they do not recognize.
Her office has received some reports from individuals who received spam or scam emails or texts “after they’ve received vaccines or registered for vaccines through legitimate websites,” including offers to redeem a prize.
Healey stressed there have been no reported breaches of information from legitimate websites, and she said the timing of scams reaching those who already registered is “likely coincidental” given that more than 2 million residents have received at least one dose.
“Scammers are always looking for the next opportunity to take advantage of a crisis, and now they are targeting people who may have just signed up for or received the vaccine,” Healey said in a statement. “We’ve been in touch with our state and health care partners to ensure patient information isn’t being shared, compromised, or sold through official vaccine websites. We want people to be confident about signing up for and receiving the vaccine through those sites, while remaining vigilant about vaccine scams.”
She urged residents to maintain caution, particularly around unsolicited requests for payments, and said anyone should report scams to her office at ago@mass.gov.
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