Kerry Gugliotto
Headline:
H1N1 Scam Spreads
Summary:
WSU officials warn students to be on the alert for fraudulent e-mails that refer to state vaccination programs for H1N1.
These e-mails appear to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are causing malicious codes to be installed to users’ computer systems nationwide.
The CDC is unsure of the effects of the code the fake e-mail installs, Kristen Nordlund, a CDC press officer said.
Health and Wellness Services advises students to be skeptical and to use more than one source to confirm validity before entering personal information online.
“Any unsolicited e-mail that asks you to enter personal information should be questioned,” said Paula M. Adams, the communication coordinator for HWS. “In this instance, calling the CDC or checking the CDC Web site would clear up the question.”
The fraudulent messages tell users that the CDC is initiating a state vaccination program and people over 18 must create a “personal H1N1 vaccination profile” on the CDC Web site whether or not they plan on getting a vaccine.
The CDC has not implemented a state wide vaccination program that requires registration. The CDC cautions users to not open or respond to unsolicited e-mail messages, to be careful when entering personal information online and to be careful when visiting untrusted Web sites, Nordlund said.
The CDC does not send e-mails to users who have not voluntarily given them their e-mail address, and the CDC will never ask users for any personal information, she said.
Fortunately, the scam has not caused major damage, she said.
“The morning we found out about people receiving these e-mails, we put a notification up,” she said.
Three days later, WSU put up notifications on WSU’s flu guidance Web site and WSU Today, said Christopher Tapfer, a WSU emergency management coordinator.
“I have not heard whether there have been any local cases of people getting these false e-mails,” he said.
A similar fraud occurred with the anthrax scare, Nordlund said. It was the same type of e-mails that appeared to be from the CDC, and tried to get users to give out personal information.
Though the CDC is not offering a state-wide vaccination program, HWS still has about 650 doses of H1N1 vaccine left and has given out about 1,300 so far, Adams said. The vaccines are available in both shot and nasal-spray form.
Because students have requested appointments through finals week, they can now be made either online or by phone until Friday.
“The amount of vaccine that is available varies by area. We have received vaccine for WSU students because the age range of college students typically puts them into a category where they are considered at higher risk than older people,” Adams said.
All vaccines are free for students and HWS recommends that every student gets vaccinated, Adams said. There is a possibility that HWS will be able to give WSU employees and other non-students vaccines, but until then non-students can check availability with Whitman County Public Health.
Related Web sites:
http://www.cdc.gov/hoaxes_rumors.html
This article was written by Kerry Gugliotto,
kerbear732@yahoo.com
Contacts:
Christopher Tapfer
509-335-7471
tapfer@wsu.edu
Paula M. Adams
509-335-7884
padams@wsu.edu
Kristen Nordlund
404-639-7387
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