Scammers are taking advantage of COVID fears and claiming you can pre-order the COVID vaccine when it does come out, and of course, this comes with a price tag.
Catherine Honeycutt with the BBB of Eastern North Carolina says, "We saw a website offering consumers if they would just pay $100 in bitcoin they would go on the waitlist for once the vaccine is out there."
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Authorities in Kentucky already shutdown a website trying to take pre-orders for the COVID vaccine that isn't even approved by the FDA, and is going after the creator of the website for fraud. Despite one website stopped from taking consumers' money, you need to watch out as scammers will create new sites.
"Be aware that a vaccine that has not yet been developed yet or approved is not going to have a pre-order to it and vaccines, in general, are not going to have that preorder option," Honeycutt adds.
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Here are some tips from the BBB to identify false or misleading claims.
- There is no waitlist that an individual can be on for the vaccine, especially one that has not yet been developed or approved.
- Be suspicious of products that claim to treat a wide range of diseases.
- Personal testimonials are no substitute for scientific evidence.
- Few diseases or conditions can be treated quickly, so be suspicious of any therapy claimed as a "quick fix."
- If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- "Miracle cures," which claim scientific breakthroughs or contain secret ingredients are likely a hoax.
- Know that you can't test yourself for coronavirus disease.