MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Macomb County man was the person behind a bogus Facebook account that was using COVID-19 vaccine card ads to scam people out of money, officials say.
Christopher Holland is accused of making the fake profile to sell the cards in the Mom2MomSwap-Macomb County Facebook page.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel asked the Macomb County Circuit Court for permission to subpoena Facebook to get information about the person responsible for the profile last summer. She referred to the scheme as a "money-for-nothing scam."
After an investigation, Nessel's office filed a civil lawsuit against Holland.
The civil action includes the following requests of the court:
includes the following requests of the Court:
- Declare that Holland engaged in unlawful conduct in violation of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA) and permanently enjoin him, whether acting directly or through any person, entity, or other device, from engaging in conduct in violation of the MCPA.
- Permanently enjoin Holland from selling goods and services, whether online or elsewhere in the State of Michigan, by using false or misleading information about his identity.
- Require Holland to pay attorney fees, investigation costs and other costs incurred by the Department of Attorney General in conjunction with this action.
"We continue to see scams related to COVID-19 surface in Michigan," Nessel said. "Let this be a warning to those who try to profit from the pandemic. We will continue to dig into complaints and vigorously pursue those who violate the MCPA."