LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said citizens should beware of COVID-19 vaccination scams as the rollout of public-facing vaccinations begin nationwide.

These scams are taking many forms, but the safest practice is being educated on a few simple facts.

First, no one can sell you a reservation or appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination. Any and all reservations or appointments for vaccinations are made in a specific person’s name, and that person will be required to show state-issued photo identification at the vaccination site.

Vaccinations will be provided to categorical groups of people regardless of race, nationality and/or immigration status.

If you are part of the categorized group of citizens that are being vaccinated at that time, you will be able to get vaccinated regardless of your race or immigration status, and vaccinations are now and will likely remain free of charge for a very long time (except for possibly a small administrative fee charged by some medical providers).

Police said anyone who is trying to sell you a vaccination is a scammer.

As the vaccinations begin rolling out, they will initially be targeting specific at-risk groups.

Your identification will be checked at every vaccination site to ensure that you are both the person named in the appointment, and that you are in the category of specific at-risk or otherwise categorized group (i.e. public educator, 75 and older, first responder, general public, etc.)

For these reasons, you will not be able to, nor need to, purchase any concept or item marketed as a reservation, appointment, place-in-line or other gimmick relative to COVID-19 vaccination.

Please report any scams that you encounter to your local law enforcement agency.