BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer issued a consumer alert Monday warning Kern County residents not to print fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards at home and not to purchase them from individuals selling counterfeits.
“Our office is aware of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards advertised on social media websites, e-commerce platforms, and blogs, as a way for individuals to misrepresent themselves as vaccinated,” said District Attorney Zimmer. “These counterfeit records are illegal and undermine the health and safety of our community. Please do not purchase a fraudulent vaccination record card, do not make your own, and do not fill in blank vaccination record cards with false information.”
The release stated that along with putting community health at risk, forging vaccination records is also a crime.
Federal authorities have stated that the unauthorized use of an official government agency's seal (such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is a federal crime and may be punishable under Section 1017 of Title 18 of the United States Code, and other laws.
Additionally, forging or possessing forged documents, like a fake COVID-19 vaccination record card, is a crime in California.
Zimmer urged people not to post their vaccination cards online and if you have lost your card, you can request a record from California Immunization Registry.
Fake COVID-19 cards can be reported at the following sites.
- File a consumer complaint with the District Attorney’s Office. A consumer complaint form can be found online
- File a complaint with the California Attorney General’s Office website.
- Contact the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or online.
- File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime ComplaintCenter.
