A new scam is spreading in Ukraine, taking advantage of the government's promise to pay Hr 1,000 to each person who gets fully vaccinated, Health Minister Viktor Lyashko warned on Dec. 6.
The victim is told to visit a link to receive their Hr 1,000. A fake page requests banking card information to receive the funds. Fraudsters then withdraw money from the victim's account.
The scheme arose after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the implementation of the vaccination bounty on Nov. 15.
Lyashko said that official payouts under the government's program will begin on Dec. 19 and will be done entirely through the Diia e-governance app.
Aside from encouraging people to get vaccinated, the program aims to support industries that suffered from the pandemic. That is why the money can only be spent on certain things, such as seasonal passes for gyms or tickets for the cinema, theater, museum, concert, or art exhibition. It can also be used to buy books or domestic travel by plane or train.
Ukraine has fully vaccinated over 11.8 million people, or 44% of the adult population and 29% of the general population.
