The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a preemptive warning this morning regarding Covid-19 scams. Their concern is that telemarketers will try to steal money from US consumers by:

• Charging a fee to put the consumer’s name on a fictional waiting list for the drug,
• Charging a fee to get fictional “early access” to one of the vaccines, or
• Simply charging a fee for the vaccine.

For seniors in the US, Medicare pays for the vaccine, so there is no out-of-pocket fee to the consumer. For consumers not on Medicare your health insurance may pay the full cost.

Doubtless, the telescammers will be hard at work trying to take money from unsuspecting consumers.

Bottom line: if you know someone who could fall for a scam like this, warn them.