SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — From concerts to college campuses, from the office to the bar, proof of vaccination is quickly becoming a common requirement. Now some are concerned that fake vaccine cards could become the new fake ID.
So what are the legal implications of buying or selling a fake vaccine card?
“It kind of depends on the situation,” said FBI Special Agent Sean Regan. “Utilizing an official insignia of a federal agency would be a federal violation.”
The FBI has been working to fight vaccine card fraud for months.
The unauthorized use of the CDC logo is a federal offense. So if you were to forge a blank CDC or HHS document, or create a fake document with the logos, it could be punishable with a fine and up to five years in prison – and that’s just the federal charges.
“If you’re using the internet, for example,” Regan said, “there could be various violations both at the state and at the federal level,”
CBS13 found blank cards for sale on social media — and even purchased some on Amazon in an effort to identify a scam. The ad displayed a yellow international vaccine card but arrived with what appeared to be real blank COVID vaccine cards too.
We’re turning the cards over to authorities.
Read more on CBS…
