Hackers intercepted a Covid-19 vaccination appointment hotline in Pennsylvania
A hotline set up to help people in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County schedule Covid-19 vaccination appointments was partially compromised, county officials said.
The service opened at noon on Thursday to help residents 65 and older who lack internet access or need additional assistance, CNN affiliate KDKA reported. The county is home to Pittsburgh, the second-most populous city in the state.
At some point “mid-afternoon,” the county health department and the 2-1-1 service became aware that a hacker was intercepting callers and diverting them away from the helpline without their knowledge, according to a news release from the county.
By Harmeet Kaur and Alec Snyder, CNN
Updated 2:32 PM ET, Fri February 5, 2021 (CNN)A hotline set up to help people in Pennsylvania s Allegheny County schedule Covid-19 vaccination appointments was partially compromised, county officials said.
The service opened at noon on Thursday to help residents 65 and older who lack internet access or need additional assistance, CNN affiliate KDKA reported. The county is home to Pittsburgh, the second-most populous city in the state.
At some point mid-afternoon, the county health department and the 2-1-1 service became aware that a hacker was intercepting callers and diverting them away from the helpline without their knowledge, according to a news release from the county.
Six Coronavirus Vaccine Scams That Target Your Money and Personal Information And What to do About Them
(CNN) Finally, the Covid-19 vaccine is available to millions, including health care workers, chronically ill people, and seniors. But with wider availability comes the inevitable spike in vaccine scams.
Fraudsters are promising early access to vaccines or even a personal shipment of vaccines at a cost, of course. But their offers aren’t legit, and those they scam could end up with their personal information exposed and money stolen without ever getting the vaccine.
Bottom line: If you’re sent communication about vaccines that seems fishy, check it out with your local health department. Don’t give out personal information such as your bank account information or Social Security number when solicited by someone you don’t know no health department or vaccination site would require that information to get you vaccinated. And you should only be vaccinated at authoriz
Puppy scams are is claiming more victims as a growing number of families seek animals amid the pandemic. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro recently issued a warning about scams increasing in frequency, including “pet sale scammers”
Better Business Bureau warns about COVID-19 stimulus scams
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Sunday, January 03 2021
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Another round of COVID-19 stimulus checks is on the way along with another round of scams.
The Better Business Bureau reports that scammers are contacting unsuspecting consumers, asking for personal information to process stimulus payments.
Scammers frequently attempt to contact people using email, text messages and robocalls.
The federal government uses tax return information to process stimulus payments and doesn t charge processing fees.