(NEXSTAR) – You may be jubilant after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine — but don’t post your vaccination card on social media sites, multiple organizations warn.
According to the Better Business Bureau, posting your vaccination card on social media can make you the victim of identity theft and “can help scammers create phony versions.”
“Your card has your full name and birthday on it, as well as information about where you got your vaccine. If your social media privacy settings aren’t set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use,” the group warns.
The Federal Trade Commission echoed the bureau, likewise warning of the threat of identity theft when posting a photo of your card.
That’s not the only problem at play, however. According to the bureau, scammers in Great Britain have been caught selling fake vaccination cards on eBay and TikTok, and “it’s only a matter of time before similar cons come to the United States.”
Posting photos of the cards helps provide scammers with information they can use to create phony cards, BBB said.
BBB recommends the following actions to keep yourself safe:
- Share your vaccine sticker or use a profile frame on Facebook.
- Review your security settings on social media to double check whom your sharing your posts with.
- “Think twice before participating in other viral personal posts,” the bureau said, including those that display what kind of cars you’ve owned, your favorite songs and your favorite TV shows. These “favorite things” are commonly used for passwords and security questions.
