As the roll out of Covid-19 Vaccines continue in the United Kingdom, there are lots of other countries starting to join the immunisation process. Countries like India are also getting ready to roll out a Covid-19 Vaccine. However, with this news, cybercriminals are also getting set to scam people by fraudulently enrolling them for vaccination. Several reports states that cybercriminals are either calling individuals on the name of registration of vaccine or sharing malicious link seeking bank account details or direct cash transfer

According to an NDTV report , people in Bhopal, India have been getting calls asking them to pay Rs 500 to get their family registered for vaccination in the first phase. Another way, people are getting scammed is through email. Here cybercriminal are asking people to give their personal details on a fake vaccination registration form through email.

Types of Covid- 19 Vaccination scams you should be aware of

  1. Fake Product:

Cybercriminals are offering fake vaccination online just like masks and sanitizers. Vendors claiming to have access to unspecific COVID-19 vaccines are requesting up to $300 in cryptocurrency.

Check Point has also recorded thousands of new website domains recently registered with phrases including “vaccine” and “corona”. Many of these sites contain malware and Phishing.

TIP: Never make payments to untrusted source. Government as of now is not asking for any payments relating to vaccine registration or purchase of vaccination.

  1. Malicious link in Emails

The corona virus related email is already on rise since 2020 and it is showing no signs of stopping, now emails have pivoted to vaccines as there subjects.

In many cases cybercriminals ask to click on a malicious link which will redirect them on a fake website asking them to fill personal details like name, address, social security number, credit card details to secure their place in the vaccination queue. They may even ask to pay certain amount to get registered. They may imposter themselves as government bodies.

TIP:  Don’t fall for phishing emails, Emails impersonating as government officials asking to register or make payment by downloading attachment or clicking on links should always be double checked with original source. Look out for grammatical errors or time of the email; they are red flag for scam.

  1. Fake Ads

Cybercriminals may share fake ads on social media, websites, whatsapp to sale covid-19 vaccine; it may look like it’s from a government entity.

TIP: Never respond to unwanted advertisements, remember as of now vaccine are not available privately. No one can sale vaccine online so always ignore such fake Ads.

  1. Text messages and Calls

Cybercriminals impersonate government officials and hook individuals by sending SMS messages related to stimulus checks and tax payments. The latest SMS scam is impersonating UK’s National Health Service (NHS), in which the receivers are told that they are eligible to apply for a vaccine.

TIP: Ignore fake messages for vaccination. Never click on any link or don’t respond to any messages/calls asking to fill up form or make any type of payments to get yourself checked or get vaccinated. Instead, directly email or call your local provider, you can also check official websites for the latest information.