The Department of Health and Human Services Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) is reporting an increase in the number of COVID-19-themed phishing emails with the release of the vaccine. Emails offering alternate treatments, requesting payment or personally identifiable information, or promising early access to the vaccine are suspect. Please remember:
- You will not need to pay anything out of pocket to get the vaccine during this public health emergency.
- You cannot pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.
- You cannot pay to get early access to the vaccine.
- No one from the vaccine distribution site or health care payer, like a private insurance company, will call you asking you for your social security number, credit card, or bank account information to sign you up to get the vaccine.
In addition to email, criminals will use malicious websites, telemarketing, text messages, and social media to contact their intended victims.
Should you see any COVID-19 themed phishing emails in your Cooper email inbox, please report it to Cooper’s IT department by forwarding the email to spam-alert@cooperhealth.edu or clicking the “Phishing” icon in the Cisco Email Reporting button located in the ribbon of your inbox. After you have reported the email to IT, please delete the email.