Missouri warns of 'vaccine verification' text message scam
Dec. 7—A new text message scam targeting residents and their personal information is making the rounds, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services warned this week.
The text message, reportedly originating from 1-704-525-9772, requests that residents visit a website to enter their Social Security number, name and date of birth, and to upload photos of their driver's license to "validate" their "onetime COVID-19 vaccine verification," the health department said. In an apparent attempt to legitimize the website, logos for the health department and the Missouri Department of Revenue's myDMV portal appear at the top.
State officials said the website is hosted and maintained externally, and it was registered Dec. 2 using a provider from the European Union.
The state health department will never ask for a Social Security number over email or text message, and it only provides vaccination verification and records upon request, officials said.
If someone has submitted their information through this website, the health department recommends:
—Contacting your financial institutions to notify them of the privacy breach.
—Contacting the Social Security Administration to report an exposed number.
—Contacting credit reporting services to alert them your information was disclosed.
