B.C. health officials are warning seniors about possible scammers, as they will soon be able to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

Dr. Penny Ballem, the executive lead of the province’s vaccine rollout, says there have already been some attempts of phishing by scammers.

“Health authority call centres will never ask for SIN, your driver’s licence numbers, any banking information, your credit card. That will not happen. And if our seniors find ourselves on a phone call where people are asking them that, they’re on the wrong phone call. And they need to get off and find out the right number to call. Because that will not happen.”

Ballem says what people will need is to confirm their date of birth, their postal code, their health services numbers and their contact information.

She says seniors shouldn’t feel like they have to navigate the system on their own.

“Because many people over their eighties might need some help with calling in, we’re going to make it very easy for that. If they have a family member, a support person, a friend who could help them call in to the call centre. Or even use their mobile device or their email to get the confirmation.”

Seniors aged 90 and older, and Indigenous residents aged 65 and older, can start calling to book a vaccine appointment as of March 8. On March 15, anyone aged 85 and older can call to book an appointment, and anyone over 80 can do so starting on March 22.

The webpage with details of what number to call to book an appointment can be found here.