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Don’t post a photo of your COVID-19 vaccination card on social media, BBB warns

Doing so could make you more susceptible to identity theft

FILE - In this July 30, 2019, file photo, the social media application, Facebook is displayed on Apple's App Store. Facebook reports earnings on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky) (Amr Alfiky, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

If you have received your COVID-19 vaccine, that’s great! Just make sure not to share an image of your vaccination card on social media, the Better Business Bureau says.

Sure you may want to share the news with your friends, but by sharing an image of your card, you could be making yourself more susceptible to identity theft. Or, you could be helping scammers create false versions of your card, according to the BBB.

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Your vaccination card will have your full name, birthdate and other information about where you received your vaccine, which is all valuable information that you’ll want to keep private.

“Sharing your personal information isn’t the only issue. Scammers in Great Britain were caught selling fake vaccination cards on eBay and TikTok. It’s only a matter of time before similar cons come to the United States and Canada. Posting photos of your card can help provide scammers with information they can use to create and sell phony ones,” the BBB said in a release.

Still, there are ways to share the news in a safe way on social media. The BBB has these tips:

  • Share your vaccine sticker or use a profile frame on Facebook: If you just want to post that you received your vaccine, just share a photo of your vaccine sticker. You could also use a profile frame on Facebook to show that you’ve been vaccinated. If you’re unfamiliar with how to do this, click here for further instructions.
  • Up your security settings on social media: Be sure to check your privacy and security settings on your social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). That way, you can pick and choose who you are sharing your images with. Even if you aren’t sharing a photo or post related to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, these settings could be good to review anyway, just to up your profile security.
  • Be wary of what you post, even if it’s trending: Sharing your vaccine photo is one of the latest trends on social media. But, just make sure to think twice when it comes to sharing this information or any other personal information, including sharing some of your favorite things. The BBB says the details you share could be commonly used passwords or answers to security questions.

For more information from the BBB on how to safely share your COVID-19 vaccine news on social media, click here.

RELATED: Social media is a breeding ground for scams during COVID-19 crisis, FTC says


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