Saint Francis warns of COVID vaccine phone scam

Saint Francis Healthcare System is warning patients of a COVID-19 vaccine phone scam.

According to a news release, Saint Francis has received reports of a phone scam where an unidentified caller attempts to schedule a COVID vaccination, provides instructions and asks for a Social Security number to schedule an appointment.

While Saint Francis staff may call to schedule an appointment, staff will never ask for a patient’s complete Social Security number for scheduling, the release stated.

Needles that were recently used for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine are seen in a medical waste bin during a SoutheastHEALTH vaccination clinic Wednesday at Jackson Civic Center.Sarah Yenesel ~ Southeast Missourian

Saint Francis asks anyone who believes they have received a scam call to hang up and disregard. Anyone who believes they may have given confidential information to a scam caller is encouraged to visit identitytheft.gov to report the incident.

As of Wednesday, Saint Francis has exhausted its vaccine allocation for the week. The hospital has requested an additional 10,000 vaccine doses for next week, and its website and Facebook page will be updated when the next shipment is received, the release stated.