Lake County Gazette

Illinois Rep. Tom Weber (R-Fox Lake) is warning residents to be on guard for growing fraud schemes centering on COVID-19 vaccines while also criticizing the governor over COVID-19 measures. 

“Never share your personal or health information with anyone other than known and trusted medical officials,” Weber told the Lake County Gazette.

Several media outlets have reported the scam involves fraudsters contacting unsuspected victims via call, text message or on social media to offer early access to the vaccine for payment or personal information that might include a Social Security number or medical history profile. 

With the scam on the rise, authorities advise people not to click on links from sources not known to them and ignore online and phone solicitations related to the vaccines.

In his second year of representing District 62, Weber has been a persistent voice about the virus and what residents can do to make life easier on themselves during the pandemic.

Weber recently criticized Gov. J.B. Pritzker over his executive decision to limit the way restaurants can operate despite cries from some that no concrete evidence exists showing that they are hotspots for spreading the virus. 

A recent survey by small business referral network Alignable found that over the last month, 56% of bar and restaurant owners were unable to pay their full rent in Illinois as the sting of the governor’s ongoing ban on indoor dining took more significant effect.

“Here in the district, we’re just not seeing data that suggests that indoor, sit-down restaurant dining is a setting where COVID-19 is being widely spread,” he said. “Before we tell our restaurant and bar owners that they are basically ‘not essential,’ we need to have confidence in the metrics that are being used to single them out. If the governor wants our help in supporting the resurgence mitigations, he needs to provide the data we’ve been asking for.”