FTC warns of scammers claiming to have advance COVID-19 vaccines for a price

The Federal Trade Commission is now warning people about a COVID-19 vaccine scam.

The FTC says they’ve fielded reports of scammers who have called or texted people, offering an advanced COVID-19 vaccine shot for a price.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Coronavirus Pandemic in Georgia]

Brenda Daye-Wilson, who lost her son to the coronavirus a few months ago, heard about the scam. She told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington she still has to think about actually taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I’m not only going to wait and see, I haven’t made up my mind on whether I’m going to take it at all. I don’t know the efficiencies,” she said.

“It’s incumbent of all of us to do our do diligence. Pay attention. Wait. The information versus the misinformation that’s out there, and use common sense,” Daye-Wilson told Washington.

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While most Americans wait for a COVID-19 vaccine, scammers are trying to take advantage.

“It’s important in any emergency health emergency to go to your trusted resources of information. So for me that’s the Georgia department of public health, the governor’s office, the CDC those sorts of things,” said Dr. Amber Schmidtke, former assistant microbiology professor at Mercer University.

Schmidtke said people should understand that the vaccine will go to healthcare workers and long-term nursing home residents first.

She said any promises of early access should send up red flags.

“So it’s important for us as Georgians to remember our place in line when it comes to this distribution plan and there will be no shorts cuts in line,” Schmidtke said.

The FTC says that people should never share their personal information with anyone, promising early access to the vaccine. Anyone who comes across the scam should report it to the FTC.

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Timeline of when some people in the state of Georgia may receive the COVID-19 Vaccine