LAFAYETTE, La. — The Lafayette Consolidated Government held its weekly press briefing on Tuesday and warned residents to be careful about scammers contacting them about the COVID-19 vaccine or their incoming stimulus checks in order to get their personal information.
LCG Chief Communications Officer Jamie Angelle held the briefing saying that with the release of the vaccine and increase in distribution of the vaccine, they are starting to see scammers using that and the stimulus checks to get their hands on your personal info and your money.
According to Angelle, the FBI, The Inspector General's Office and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have all received complaints of scammers using COVID-19 vaccine to obtain that information.
He said that scammers are using telemarketing calls, robocalls, text messages and even social media to impersonate government agencies.
Angelle said the only way to get the COVID-19 vaccine currently is through the Louisiana Department of Health, Department of Health and Hospital Services and their authorized locations.
He added that 107 pharmacies, hospitals and healthcare systems across state have started receiving the Moderna vaccine on Monday, and obviously the hospitals and healthcare systems.
Angelle gave several warning signs of the vaccine scam for residents to look our for including:
- If you get a call or are asked to pay out of pocket to get a vaccine
- If you areasked to pay to put your name on a vaccine waiting list, or to get early access
- If marketers offer to sell or ship doses of the vaccine
- If you recieve unsolicited emails or phone calls from those claiming to be from a medical office or insurance company or a COVID-19 vaccine center asking for personal or medical info to determine your eligibility to participate in clinical vaccine trials or obtain the vaccine.
Angelle also gave an update on Tuesday's COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations for Lafayette Parish and LDH Region 4 - Acadiana.
Lafayette Parish has a total of 17,334 COVID-19 cases with 283 added in the last 24 hours; 190 total deaths with 1 new death added in the last 24 hours.
In LDH Region 4 - Acadiana, there are 44,651 total COVID-19 cases with an increase of nearly 800 in the last 24 hours; 908 total deaths with 7 new deaths added in the last 24 hours.
There are 1,974 patients hospitalized in Louisiana with 83 patients hospitalized in the last 24 hours.
Angelle said cases are expected to increase because of post-holiday family gatherings, which could cause an increase over the next few weeks.
You can watch Tuesday's press briefing in full below:
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