And Now Post Pandemic Scams

Published On April 30, 2021 | By Tom Huskerson | Fraud, Scams, Hoaxes & Hacks, Now You Know

Online scams are as common as rain and sunshine. And as the pandemic comes to a close the scams keep coming.

Fake Vaccine Cards

Yes, you can buy a fake vaccine card online. Criminals are cashing in on the U.S. COVID-19 immunization effort by selling forgeries of government-issued “vaccination record cards” that show people have been inoculated. Why? Because airlines and hotels may begin to demand that travelers show their vaccine cards as a condition of doing business. The so-called “vaccine passport” may become a real thing. And in some places it already is.

Hundreds of suspect websites are offering to sell fellow assholes blank or forged versions of the cards over e-commerce sites including eBay, Etsy and Shopify. According to Saoud Khalifah, CEO of Fakespot, which uses artificial intelligence to detect online retail scams, these crooks are also also advertising the fakes on Facebook.  These scammers are brazen and using names like as blankcovidcard.com.

So if you are the kind of asshole that wants to buy a fake government document be my guest. And if you are the kind of asshole that falsely convinces someone that you have been vaccinated against a deadly disease possibly spreading it to some innocent person then I think you deserve the 20 year federal prison sentence for possessing or selling fake government documents.

Post Pandemic Dating Scams

You’re single and you been on lock down and in isolation for over a year. You are yearning to get back to dating and a social life. You better believe the scammers know that. As if dating online is not problematic enough now you got post pandemic catfishing.

The FBI is reporting that many singles are too eager to jump back into online dating and paying a price. People have reported being scammed out of hundreds, even thousands dollars by online lovers. In addition there has been sexual assaults and even STD spikes all related to post pandemic online dating. 

No one is immune from being scammed from an online romance and the numbers and dollars are staggering. Check out the map of 2021 so far.

 

 

Post Pandemic Travel Scams

Ok, the pandemic is over..sort of. You got your vaccine and you are ready to go…anywhere. And the scammers know how bad you want to move out. Travel scams are everywhere. Lets get straight to the fact. Nothing is absolutely free and if it sounds too good to be true then it is. The internet is now exploding with post pandemic travel offers and yes there are some good deals to be found. But there is also the scammers selling you nightmares.

You can find these deals if you look. Buy one get one free cruises, just show your vaccine card. Buy one get one free plane tickets with your vaccine card.  Book stays at an exotic hotel where everyone has been vaccinated or have been tested for the virus. All these scams are online and waiting for your credit card.

The post pandemic travel surge is real and plenty of legitimate travel services are offering great deals but you need to be alert to scammers. Avoid suspect travel and vacation websites. Stick to the services, websites and airlines you know about. Be especially cautious buying travel vouchers and airline ticket from places like Craigslist. You need to be alert. These scams are very common and often hurry you into a “great deal” by advertising that the tickets or vouchers will expire in days and you need to grab them now! Don’t ever be rushed into buying anything.

Now you know.

 

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About The Author

Tom Huskerson Bio Born in Richmond Virginia Tom Huskerson is a military veteran who settled in California after his discharge. Tom attended Santa Barbara City College where he began his writing career as a campus reporter. He worked as an intern news reporter for the Santa Barbara News-Press writing feature stories before moving on to San Francisco. At San Francisco State University Tom studied broadcast communications and began to focus on the Internet. He completed his graduate thesis on Internet advertising. Tom was the first student to ever focus on the Internet as a graduate student at San Francisco State University. After graduation he went to work for Zona Research in California’s Silicone Valley. As a research associate Tom supported senior analyst writing on the latest developments in the Internet industry. During the dot com boom Tom worked for several web businesses as a market researcher and analyst. As a writer and researcher Tom has authored various technical works including a training program for Charles Schwab security. Other projects included professional presentations on workplace violence and hiring security contractors. Tom has also written both fiction and non-fiction works and blogging for a travel website. He has published two books of short stories and completed two novels. Tom is the owner of Scribe of Life Literature and EbonyCandle.com. Tom is not the chief editor for the OnTechStreet. com. A news and information blog that focuses on tech news for African-Americans. The blog is the result of his desire to inform the African American community of the dangers and benefits of the cyber age. In his blog Tom reports on information security, new and analysis, scams and hoaxes, legal happenings and various topics that arise from the age of information. Tom believes that technology is a necessary tool for black people and they should know what is happening. Tom writes believing that techno speak is for the professional and that valuable information can be communicated using plain language. As a result he has embraced the motto, Less Tech, More Knowledge.

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