A major concern for colleges returning to in-person classes that require vaccines is how easy it can be for students to use a fake vaccine card.
At the moment, at least 675 colleges are requiring the vaccine, and many are taking something as simple as an uploaded photo of the card.
Other colleges take greater measures, like freezing a student’s account until the vaccine is verified.
Both students and faculty have expressed concern over students choosing to upload or hand in fake vaccine cards.
The FBI has issued statements reminding people that it’s fraudulent to buy or sell anything using official government seals on them, and in July the first prosecution involving fake vaccine cards happened.
A naturopathic physician in Napa, California was arrested for wire fraud and false statements related to healthcare issues.
Juli A. Mazi, 41, was selling fake cards that looked like someone had gotten the Moderna vaccine and went as far as writing fake lot numbers for the vaccines that were never given.
Students express frustration that their peers will spend hundreds of dollars instead of just getting the COVID-19 vaccine for free.
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