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Counterfeit COVID vaccine cards pose a growing problem

In some cases, those offering to sell fake vaccination records are out to steal the would-be buyer's personal information for identity theft.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Public health officials are stressing the importance of getting vaccinated as the Delta variant continues to cause concern. 

There is also growing concern over whether the proof of vaccination from college students returning to campus or employees returning to their companies is legitimate

San Diego's District Attorney said her office is taking this growing threat of counterfeit vaccine cards seriously: a threat that could have serious consequences for those who create these cards and those who buy them.

"We began noticing this trend a couple of months ago," said District Attorney Summer Stephan. 

That trend involves selling fake COVID vaccine cards, often online, such as on Instagram, where for $25, bogus vaccine cards are being offered

"We are going to see this explode more," said Stephan.

This unscrupulous and illegal industry is getting the attention of local, state and federal law enforcement.

Stephan also warns that there is another fraud scheme at work here. Often, those who are offering to sell you a fake vaccination record are out to steal your personal information for identity theft.

"It cuts both ways," Stephan told News 8. "It is a fraud on the community if you will because you are using a fraudulent card, but they're also perpetrating fraud on the individual who is trying to buy the card."

Recently, California's Attorney General Rob Bonta joined 46 other states in requesting that sites like Twitter and eBay take down ads or links selling bogus proof of vaccination.

This is a growing concern on a nationwide level, especially as more and more schools, including colleges and universities, are requiring proof of vaccination for their students and staff as they return to campus this fall.

Many employers are requiring the same proof of their workers.

"People can really do a good job at faking things," said Marcia Mansaray, a deputy public health officer in Michigan.

"We have an immunization registry in every state that can not be faked," she added. 

"The people selling these fake records can be in trouble, but also the people using it could potentially be in trouble," Stephan said. 

In fact, the FBI is also warning anyone thinking of faking their vaccine credentials that misrepresenting the official seal of a U.S. agency like the CDC is a federal crime: a crime that could lead to a $5,000 fine or up to five years in prison. 

News 8 reached out to local colleges and universities to see what they are doing to determine the veracity of the Covid vaccination records submitted by students, faculty and staff. 

UC San Diego submitted this statement: 

"All students, faculty and staff at UC San Diego are required to submit proof of vaccination by Sept. 6, 2021, which is two weeks before the start of the fall quarter, per University of California policy. Those who are requesting a medical exemption, exception based on disability or religious belief, or deferral for pregnancy must do so by Sept. 2, 2021.

To date, we have not received any documentation of concern. The majority of campus members have been vaccinated through UC San Diego Health, and their vaccination information is directly uploaded to their student or employee medical chart. Those who receive one or more vaccinations outside of the university are able to submit proof of vaccination, which is vetted daily by our team.

 If we were to come across a questionable document, students would be referred to the Office for Student Conduct, and employees would be referred to the Office of Human Resources or Academic Personnel Services. Thus far we have not had any need for a referral."

San Diego State University submitted this statement:

"SDSU has the ability to verify vaccinations administered in the state of California by automatically cross referencing all uploaded vaccine cards and records with county and state vaccine registries. We also screen for any vaccine card irregularities or other concerns. To be clear: the university has not encountered the upload of any fictitious COVID-19 vaccine cards. 

 In addition, based on primary source verification through the state registries, our students, faculty and staff are getting vaccinated and submitting their vaccine records at high rates. As of July 30, more than 25,000 students and the majority of faculty and staff have already submitted proof of vaccination. We continue to request vaccination cards for documentation of vaccines administered."

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