Federal Investigators Preparing For Surge Of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams

CHICAGO (CBS) -- From fake masks to phony charities, criminals are cashing in on COVID-19, and federal investigators are gearing up for a new wave of scams.

CBS 2 Morning Insider Lauren Victory explains how it's only a matter of time until fraudsters exploit the vaccine.

Chicago's surge of COVID-19 cases has left us stuck inside again.

"People are at home a lot more. So the scamsters know how to get in touch with you," said William Kresse, a consumer fraud expert at Governors State University, also known as "Professor Fraud."

And the criminals know we're itching for freedom. The vaccine, which became available on Monday to health care workers, is our ticket and their golden opportunity.

Kresse said bad actors will try to play on our impatience, with claims like "Insurance may not cover this right now, so you'll need to pay for it in advance."

You'll get a shot alright; to your financials.

"They're just trying to get your credit card or bank account information from you," Kresse said.

The threat is high enough to catch the attention of federal investigators.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently launched Operation Stolen Promise 2.0 to target phony vaccines.

They're not only on the lookout for spammy websites, they're also on the hunt for what the scammers might deliver.

In September, ICE counterparts at U.S. Customs and Border Protection busted a shipment of fake N-95 masks at O'Hare International Airport. Someone had unknowingly ordered half a million counterfeits that wouldn't have fully protected people.

Also nabbed earlier this year: unapproved at-home testing kits.

The feds worry future seizures will include vaccine knockoffs that are improperly stored, among other safety flaws.

"If they're giving you some sort of story that they've got some secret channel to the vaccine, do you really want that anyhow?" Kresse said.

ICE warned the public not to buy the shot through the internet, including online pharmacies.

"This is not how the government and the pharmaceutical companies are going to be running the vaccine," Kresse said.

Waiting for more information about distribution is key, as hard it may be to stay put right now.

The city of Chicago is set to get 23,000 doses of the vaccine during the first distribution in the coming weeks.