Schumer calls for crackdown on fake vaccine cards
NEW YORK (AP) — The Senate’s top Democrat says federal law enforcement officials need to crack down on fake COVID-19 vaccination cards being sold online. Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday that he’s demanding U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI team up with officials from the Department of Health and Human Services to launch a crackdown on the counterfeit cards and start a campaign to make clear that forging the cards could land people in federal prison. His push comes after The Associated Press reported how people are cheating the system and buying counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards online. That’s worrying officials at colleges and universities across the country that are requiring proof that students received the vaccine to attend in-person classes.
Photo: This undated image provided by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California shows two fake CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards that are part of a criminal complaint. With more than 600 colleges and universities now requiring proof of COVID-19 inoculations, an online industry has sprung up offering fake vaccine cards. Dozens of students interviewed by the Associated Press said they were aware of fake covid-19 vaccination cards, though none admitted to actually using one. (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California via AP)