WEDNESDAY, September 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) – A woman calling herself AntiVaxMomma on social media will face a series of charges of selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, New York attorneys said Tuesday.
They claim Jasmine Clifford, of Lyndhurst, NJ, has sold about 250 fake vaccination cards through her Instagram account in the past few months, the Associated Press reported.
Clifford provided the counterfeit cards to people in the New York City area, including some hospital and nursing home workers, for $ 200 each, prosecutors said.
They also said that Clifford’s alleged co-conspirator, Nadayza Barkley of Bellport, LI, entered the name of a fake ticket buyer into a New York state vaccination database that is used to track vaccine status at venues such as sporting events and concerts for an additional $ 250 to confirm. reported the AP.
Barkley entered at least 10 names into the state’s vaccine database while working at a Patchogue medical clinic, according to prosecutors.
Clifford was charged with offering a fake instrument, offering criminal possession of a counterfeit instrument and conspiracy, and Barkley was charged with offering a wrong instrument and conspiracy.
Thirteen alleged buyers of the counterfeit cards were also charged, the AP reported.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. urged Instagram-owned Facebook and other tech companies to crack down on vaccination card fraud, saying in a statement that “the stakes are too high to whack fake vaccination cards with a to fight a mole charge ”. . “
Facebook said it bans anyone from buying or selling COVID-19 vaccine cards and removed Clifford’s account in early August for violating its rules.
“We will review any other accounts that may be doing the same thing,” the company said in a written statement. “We appreciate the prosecution’s work on this matter and will remove this content as soon as we find it.”
Selling fake vaccination cards is a growing problem as more places require proof of vaccination to work, eat in restaurants, and participate in daily activities.
In May, the owner of a bar in Northern California was arrested after allegedly selling made-to-order counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards for $ 20 each, the AP reported fake COVID treatments and vaccination cards.
Two tourists were arrested this month for allegedly using fake vaccination cards to travel to Hawaii, and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer has urged federal law enforcement agencies to combat online sales of fake COVID vaccination cards, the AP reported .
More information
Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to learn more about COVID vaccines.
SOURCE: Associated Press
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