U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials seized three boxes containing fake COVID-19 vaccine cards that were headed to New Orleans, The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate reports.
The fraudulent cards were remarkably similar to the official ones but were described by officials as “low-quality.” “There were typos, unfinished words, and some of the Spanish verbiage on the back was misspelled,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Matthew Dyman said.
Officials seized the fake cards between Aug. 4 and Aug. 10 at a Memphis, Tennessee, port, where batches meant for New York and Alabama were also discovered, the spokesman said.
There could be a steep penalty for those who choose to use a fake card, Dyman added. It is a felony to use a government seal and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, The Daily Beast reported.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell recently announced that the city would mandate vaccinations or a negative COVID-19 test to enter restaurants, bars, gyms, and other indoor venues.
