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Reports: Woman faked vaccine card to get into Hawaii, misspelled vaccine as 'Maderna'

Investigators reportedly had a hard time finding her, until they say a photo on her social media showed a distinctive tattoo.

HONOLULU — A woman was arrested for using a fake vaccine card with the word "Maderna" to get to Hawaii and avoid travel restrictions, according to multiple reports. 

The glaring typo was a red flag for authorities, according to court documents obtained by Hawaii News Now

According to the news outlet, state investigators say they got a tip that Chole Mrozak, 24, of Oak Lawn, Illinois, might have uploaded the fake card under the state's Safe Travels Program in order to bypass quarantine rules for unvaccinated travelers. 

KHON 2 reports the screener didn't confirm her reservation before Mrozak left the processing center. 

“That’s one indication, as well as other things that in the card they thought it was suspicious and as part of being suspicious they did an excellent job of notifying us,” Special Agent William Lau of the Department of the Attorney General told KHON 2.

No reservation was found at the hotel she listed in her Safe Travels forms, nor did Mrozak give her hotel reservation number or return flight info, KHON 2 says court documents show. 

Hawaii News Now says Mrozak's handwritten vaccine card listed she got the vaccine in Delaware from National Guard members. Investigators say they couldn't find records. 

Special agents say they were able to track Mrozak down using her Facebook profile that showed a distinctive tattoo on her hip, KHON 2 reports. 

When she was arrested, she told officers she got her vaccination from her doctor and paid for the shot, Hawaii News Now reports. 

This isn't the first time travelers have been accused of falsifying vaccination records in order to avoid quarantine rules and travel restrictions in Hawaii. 

Recently, a South Florida couple was arrested for trying to use fake COVID-19 vaccinations cards for themselves and their two young children. And, shortly before that, two more people were arrested for using fake vaccine cards to travel to the state. 

The FBI warns that creating or buying a fake vaccination card is a criminal offense carrying fines and up to 5 years in prison.

Anyone who spots a fake vaccine card in person or online should report it to the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or file a complaint with the FBI’s internet crime complaint center.

RELATED: If you buy or sell a fake COVID-19 vaccination card, you could face up to 5 years in prison

RELATED: Florida couple arrested for using fake vaccine cards in Hawaii, reports say

 

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