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Verify: Is COVID-19 vaccine registration page asking for a social security number a scam?

Several 5 On Your Side viewers reached out to the Verify team asking if scammers were posing as a local hospital group during COVID vaccination registrations

ST. LOUIS — 5 On Your Side viewers contacted the Verify team after seeing a vaccine registration form that requires your social security number.

Question: Is it true the Mercy COVID-19 vaccination registration form asking for your social security number is a scam?

The Verify team spoke with the media relations manager at Mercy. She told us Mercy has been inundated with calls from people asking the same question. The spokesperson said the confusion boils down to forwarded weblinks.

She told the Verify team the first vaccine registration form patients need to fill out is on Mercy’s website and asks for basic information. It does not ask for your social security number. But after you fill out that initial form and your tier is eligible, you will receive an email with a scheduling link.

When a person clicks on the scheduling link, they will be asked for their social security number if they are not already a Mercy patient with a MyMercy account. The social security number is used to register you as a patient with Mercy.

Mercy asks that people not forward scheduling links and instead fill out the initial Mercy registration form.

We can verify this claim is false.

Mercy’s spokesperson said the form accessed through the scheduling link is legit.  The form associated with the scheduling link will ask for your social security number if you’re not already a Mercy patient with a MyMercy account.

To register for the COVID vaccine from other local hospital groups:

BJC Healthcare: https://www.bjc.org/Coronavirus/Covid-19-Vaccines

St. Luke’s Hospital: https://lukesvaccine.com/

SSM Health: Register through MyChart https://mychart.ssmhc.com/mychart/Authentication/Login

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