Officials warn of H1N1 scam

State health officials are warning area residents to avoid a scam designed to prey on fears of the swine flu.

One scam is an e-mail titled "Creation of your personal Vaccination Profile." It tells recipients they must register with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and create a personal vaccination file online.

Health Division Administrator Richard Whitley said the e-mail is a scam designed to get personal information from people. He said it takes the person to a Web site that looks like the CDC page but isn't.

He said people should delete that file and not respond to it.

"Nevadans should not provide any personal information online in response to this type of solicitation," Whitley said. "Neither the state nor the federal government is requesting that people do so."

He said consumers should also beware of companies offering special sanitation services to protect from the H1N1 virus. He said a normal cleaning with household disinfectants is all that is needed.

The federal government has also set up a list of fraudulent products being marketed to protect against H1N1. That list can be found at www.flu.gov.