Watch Out For Scammers Using an Old WA. Vaccine Help Line

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington State Department of Health instituted a phone help line that you could call to get help finding out what you needed to know about vaccines, help to find vaccination sites and vaccination records. The number was 833-VAX-help.  

Scammers have taken over.

The Washington State Department of Health then discontinued that line and established another phone line. The problem now is that somebody else is using that phone number for nefarious things. 

According to seattletimes.com,
‘Scammers are using an old vaccine hotline number that once belonged to the Washington State Department of Health, the agency warned.
The scammers are using the number 833-VAX-HELP (833-829-4357) to try to collect personal information including bank account numbers, the agency said in a Facebook post. The health department will never ask for banking information.’ 

The Washington State Department of Health says nobody from their department will ever ask you for banking information. When you think about it, that's pretty logical. Why would the Washington State Department of Health care about what bank you use, or what your account number is. 

Anytime somebody on the phone is asking you those questions, you've got to believe it's a scam. 

This is nothing new.

I average at least two or three phone calls a week from people I do not know, coming from places I do not recognize, that are asking me for personal information. I do not give out that information on the phone, ever. 

The Washington Department of Health did say that there is in fact a real number that you can call to get vaccine information and assistance, and that number is 1-866-397-0337.