It looks like there’s a new H1N1 flu vaccination scam going around. The intent behind this one seems even worse than the fly-by-night “selling you garbage that does nothing to protect you” schemes; this one is designed to steal your identity.

People have reported receiving emails that claim to be from the Centers for Disease Control. The message instructs the potential victim to visit a website and create a “vaccination profile” (whatever that is). One version contains the subject line, “Creation of your personal Vaccination Profile.”

At any rate, it’s a phishing scam. If you click the link in the message, you will be taken to a page that looks like an official CDC website, but is just a decoy designed to persuade you to reveal personal information. I haven’t heard yet if anyone’s fallen for it, but I’m sure there have been a few victims.

For one thing, you don’t have to create a “vaccination profile” on any website to get an H1N1 vaccine. I’m pretty sure you just show up somewhere that has the vaccine, and they jab you in the arm. The CDC does not have your email address, and will never contact you in this way to obtain personal information.

This just goes to show how literally anything can be twisted for fraudulent purposes.