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Peoria Sheriff’s Office Issues Warning About COVID-19 Scams

WCBU file photo

The Peoria County Sheriff's Office is warning the public about an increase in COVID-19 scammers trying to swindle people in the Peoria area.

Aimee Shinall, the victim service coordinator with the sheriff's office, said legitimate contact tracers will only ask for certain personal information.

“They're going to be asking for the name, they're going to be asking for your date of birth. They will not be asking you for your Social Security Number,” said Shinall. “They will not be telling you that it's going to charge you anything, asking you for a gift card or any kind of payment.”

Shinall said that in addition to some scammers posing as contact tracers, others imply they can assist people with getting a COVID-19 vaccination.

“We have had several phone calls with some calls coming in saying that people are from their health insurance (company), saying that they need some information and that they can get them to the top of the list on getting a vaccine,” she said.

Shinall also cautioned against people posting their vaccination cards on social media, because scammers can access personally identifiable information from those photos.

Residents can contact the Peoria County Sheriff’s victim services program by calling 309-697-7855.

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Joe Deacon is a reporter at WCBU.