The Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) is warning older adults to be aware of a new COVID-19 vaccine email scam. A suspicious email asks people to complete a survey and to receive a free reward in exchange for a nominal fee “to cover shipping.”
Survey scams such as this are a creative way to steal a consumer’s identity or money. Many survey scams offer a reward and give folks a limited time to respond if they want to take the survey. A legitimate survey would not assign a time limit, nor would it ask for a credit card or bank account to pay for a reward.
Scammers know people have received vaccines and are capitalizing on it. The SMP advises consumers not to give out personal or financial information. Fake surveys can be used to steal personal information; collect data about someone to commit identity theft; or to install malware on a computer when the user clicks on a link in the email.
Anyone who has responded to this or a similar vaccine survey email should call the Missouri SMP at 1-888-515-6565.
