Washington, D.C. — The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) today called on OfferUp, an online mobile marketplace, to act immediately to prevent fraudulent or blank COVID-19 vaccine cards from being sold on its platform.
A bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general, led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, and Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, raised concerns about the public health risks of these fake cards in a letter to the company.
The fake cards appear to be official because they include the logos for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services. However, using these deceptive cards violates many state laws which provide for injunctive relief, damages, and other penalties for such conduct.
“The false and deceptive marketing and sales of fake COVID vaccine cards threatens the health of our communities, slows progress in getting our residents protected from the virus, and are a violation of the laws of many states,” reads the letter.
In their letter, the attorneys general urge OfferUp to:
- Monitor its platform 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.
On April 1, NAAG sent a letter calling on Twitter, eBay, and Shopify to take similar action and prevent fake vaccination cards from being sold on their platforms.
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