BBB warns about posting Covid vaccine card on social media

Scammers can access important accounts or steal your identity by using personal information seen on your vaccine card, says director of the BBB in Rockford

As more people are vaccinated for Covid, many may be ready to take selfies once they have got the shot.

But the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is telling people to not do that.

Director of the Better Business Bureau in Rockford, Dennis Horton, says scammers can access important accounts or steal your identity by using personal information seen on your vaccine card.

Identity theft scammers are smart people, said Horton. If you post your birthday and your name on social media, then they look further and see you posted your high school on there also, it could be used as a security question.

The Winnebago County Health Department also discourages people from posting their vaccine cards online.

It said in statement: While we recognize that individuals who have been vaccinated are excited and may want to share pictures of their vaccine card on social media, Winnebago County Health Department and healthcare professionals advise against posting pictures of their vaccine card. The vaccine card contains personal information including name and birthdate along with the date and location of vaccination.

Sharing this information puts the individual at risk for identity theft. There is another concern with sharing vaccination information may have the unintended consequence of a misperception that individuals are “phase jumping”, it stated.

Horton adds that it’s just not your identity that could be stolen.

They can open accounts in your name, beat you to your tax refund if you have one coming, and you open yourself to a lot of issues, said Horton.

Horton adds that scams are on the rise because of tax season, so be on the lookout and don’t give your information away to just anyone.