You may want to brag to your friends on social media after you get issued the elusive COVID-19 vaccination card, but the FBI and CDC today both warned against doing so.
While you might be showing off to your friends, the FBI warns you are also showing your personal information to the world, including those who may want to steal your identity and commit financial crimes against you.
“Trending social media topics seem fun, but they may be putting your personally identifiable information in jeopardy.” the FBI said today.
Once you have received your COVID-19 vaccine, the FBI is asking that you don’t post a photo of your CDC vaccination card on social media.
These cards can contain your name, date of birth, patient number, insurance information, and the location where you received your vaccine. Bad actors can use these images to steal your identity and commit fraud.
You can run the risk of the posted image being widely shared if the privacy settings on your preferred social platforms are not strict.
If you have already posted a photo of a vaccine card, here are some options: Remove it and update your profile picture with a banner or a sticker advising that you took your vaccine. The main goal is to not jeopardize your identity.
Scammers are also using the vaccination cards placed onto social media to forge vaccination cards and selling them for profit.
If you feel that you have been a victim of identify theft, contact your financial institutions immediately and monitor your credit reports.