![]() ![]() Now, a special alert is out from US intelligence officials.Īs the I-Team uncovered three months ago, seizures of fake vaccine cards were increasing. The I-Team first reported on this growing problem last November. A new bulletin details "an uptick in seized fake blank COVID-19 vaccination cards smuggled to the United States from China."ĬHICAGO (WLS) - Federal law enforcement officials are warning that criminals in China may be flooding the U.S. For any questions, or for further information, please contact William D. Receipt of this insight, by itself, does not create an attorney client relationship. This insight was created by Ulmer & Berne LLP, and is not intended as a substitute for professional legal advice. Please continue to follow these updates at. We will continue to follow further issued guidance and regulations and endeavor to post those updates via our website. The information provided in this insight speaks only to the information and guidance we have available as of the date of publication and is subject to change. Please reach out to our attorneys if you have any questions. Ulmer’s Employment & Labor Practice Group is available to provide strategic advice and counseling to employers navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to encouraging employees to report these crimes and triggering your employment disciplinary policies, employers wanting to take things to a higher level can also report the use of fake vaccination cards to the federal agencies listed above. You may also want to revisit your mandatory vaccination policy to determine whether the addition of a caveat regarding the use of fake vaccination cards is warranted.Ĭonsider your options as employers are able to report these crimes as well. This might include reviewing your employee handbook to the extent you have provisions that prohibit your employees from engaging in fraud, lying, or other similar conduct at work, and reminding employees of the disciplinary measures that may be taken in the event they violate these policies. Tie the use of fake vaccination cards to your employment disciplinary process. Department of Health and Human Services, and/or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center). ![]() In addition, employers should consider issuing an announcement communicating to employees that if they know or suspect that any co-worker is creating, distributing, selling, buying, or forging COVID-19 vaccination cards in person or online, they should report such conduct to the appropriate federal agency (e.g., the Office of Inspector General, U.S. ![]() ![]() The communication of warnings like this should discourage fraudulent activity and inform employees of the seriousness of the matter. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin issued a press release advising the public that any act of creating, distributing, selling, or buying fake COVID-19 vaccination cards is illegal and punishable under federal law. Attorney’s Office website to confirm whether any advisories have been issued by the Department of Justice. Employers may also want to check their local U.S. Using or providing fake vaccination documents that use government seals can leave an employee open to a fine of $5,000 or up to five years in prison. Remind your employees that forging a vaccination card is a federal crime with severe penalties. So, what can employers do to address this difficult trend? The use of fake vaccination cards is not only illegal but also dangerous. Customs & Border Patrol recently seizing thousands of counterfeit vaccination materials across the country. Unfortunately, the black market for fake COVID-19 vaccination cards is very real, with U.S. With a growing number of employers implementing COVID-19 vaccination policies, employee resistance to these policies is increasingly taking the form of employees providing fake vaccination cards as proof of their vaccination. E&L Insight: Dealing With the Rise of Fake Vaccination Cards ![]()
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