Students, if you see the COVID-19 vaccine online survey or advertisement that you can buy the vaccine online, don’t click them as they are scams.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released the newsletter and warned people to “Be vigilant, be skeptical, be safe.” According to “Online vaccine scams: Homeland Security Investigations, INTERPOL issue public warning,” U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) teamed up with Interpol, which is the International Criminal Police Organization, to investigate illegal COVID-19 vaccine selling cases and online vaccine surveys.
It can’t be emphasized enough how important it is for international students to be aware of these scams to not fall into them. Please read this blog post and protect yourself from engaging in unlawful activities or being a victim.
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COVID-19 Vaccine online survey scam
College students, especially international students, tend to be vulnerable when it comes to scams and frauds due to their visa status. According to the ICE newsletter, scammers attract vulnerable consumers by promising that respondents of the fake COVID-19 vaccine survey would receive gifts and cash.
The form, however, is designed to “unlawfully capture consumers’ personal information and potentially steal money from consumers.” Therefore, students should not be tempted to provide their private information to receive gifts or cash as it would cost more in a long run.
COVID-19 online vaccine selling
In addition to the COVID-19 online survey, some criminal groups sell COVID-19 vaccines online which “not only does not protect against COVID-19 but poses a serious health hazard if ingested or injected. Such products are not tested, regulated or safety-checked,” according to HSI and Interpol.
Please remember that “Legitimate vaccines are not for sale. They are strictly administered and distributed by national healthcare regulators.”
What is more, purchasing vaccines online also could potentially lead people to fund organized criminals. HSI Secretary General Stock said “the networks behind these crimes have global ambitions. No country or region can fight this type of crime alone. INTERPOL is assisting law enforcement around the world to both identify criminal networks and to dismantle them.”
The bottom line is clear, students should get the vaccines that are distributed by the school or state for their health and safety. To learn more about scams that threatens international students’ visa status, click the following blog post.
Related blog post: ICE, USCIS, SEVP scam, phishing; fraud advisory
To meet their personal, academic, and professional goals, it is important for international students to educate themselves with F-1 visa information, CPT/ OPT as well as STEM OPT. Please click each page to read the most recent updates and information that are curated for international students in the United States.
