COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today called on Twitter, eBay, and Shopify to act immediately to prevent people from selling fraudulent CDC vaccination cards on their platforms.
“Fraudulent vaccine cards simply don’t have a place in the marketplace,” Yost said. “Vaccines are more readily available across Ohio than ever before – don’t fall into a deceptive trap when you could get the real thing with less effort.”
AG Yost joined a bipartisan coalition of 45 attorneys general, led by Attorney General Josh Stein of North Carolina and Attorney General Herbert Slatery of Tennesse, in raising concerns about the public health risks of these fake cards in a letter to the companies’ CEOs.
Legitimate vaccination cards are given by providers when they administer the vaccine. People who buy fake cards can have their own information added to the card or add it in themselves, so it appears they have been vaccinated when they have not. These deceptive cards threaten the health of our communities, slow progress in getting people protected from the virus, and violate many state laws.
In their letter, the attorneys general ask the CEOs to:
- Monitor their platforms for ads or links selling blank or fraudulently-completed vaccination cards.
- Promptly take down ads or links that are selling cards.
- Preserve records and information about the ads and the people who were selling them.
A copy of the letter is available here.