Colorado Attorney General Shuts Down COVID Vaccination Appointment Site

DENVER (CBS4)- A company offering appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations has been ordered to take down its vaccination scheduling site by the Colorado Attorney General because the company, Vitae Care, hasn't been approved.

It lists three locations, including one near Monaco and Evans in Denver. The sign there offers rapid test COVID testing for $96. But a look inside reveals the Vitae Care site is practically empty.

The company has been offering COVID vaccinations on the web, too. Lori Montoya was desperate to get one.

Montoya told CBS4's Rick Sallinger, "I clicked on the link and there was a gazillion appointments so I got myself an appointment for the first dose and the second dose."

But she said they wanted money when responding to her, "Confirmation and information where to go and collect your $28 administrative fee."

The company has a web page that indicates they provide a variety of medical-related services. But the problem is, they aren't approved in Colorado to provide COVID vaccinations.

"Vitae Care was engaging in a sign-up process, they were taking people's money, but they were not actually authorized to be giving the vaccine to people," said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.

The Colorado Attorney General's office issued a demand letter which states while the company applied, it can't receive any vaccine to provide for inoculations until approved.

Be careful. While some places charge a small administration fee, you should not be asked to pay for the vaccination itself or pay to get on an appointment list. Callers claiming to be from the government or health care providers can be scammers.

"When people are desperate, the scammers come out, they prey on peoples' hopes. Scammers prey on peoples' fears and right now people are afraid of getting COVID," said Weiser.

If you believe you have been victimized by a COVID-19 vaccine scam, witness a retailer sell or attempt to sell a non-FDA approved vaccine, or witness other such suspicious activity, please report it to the Colorado Attorney General's Office at stopfraudcolorado.gov.

LINK: Distinguishing Legitimate COVID-19 Vaccines From Fraud

Editor's Note: This article was edited after the orignal publication date for clarity.