There's a warning about a fake card that is currently making the rounds on social media in response to several states now making masks mandatory in public.
The claim is that the card will exempt people from wearing a face mask under the Americans With Disabilities Act because it "poses a mental and/or physical risk."
It also claims that if a business denies access to a person with a card, the business will be reported and potentially fined thousands of dollars.
The card has a Department of Justice seal but the DOJ says it did not issue a card.
Consumer lawyer Charles Gallagher says lying about a disability to get away with not wearing a mask is not worth it. If a person is caught, they could face big fines for lying about disability and using false documents.
Former NSYNC singer Lance Bass tweeted a photo showing one example of a fake face mask exempt card, which he said are “not a thing.”
HEADS UP fellow businesses.... This is not a thing. This is what happens when Arts and Crafts Karens have too much time on their hands. We will throw it in the trash and send them on their way. pic.twitter.com/VKACSA3pRU
— Lance Bass (@LanceBass) June 24, 2020
The card also bears the emblem for the Freedom to Breathe Agency (FTBA), which is not a real agency.
However, it is the name of a group on Facebook, which has nearly 6,000 people. The group claims "breathing is a vital biological activity to physical and emotional well being,” and the agency is “designed to stop face mask orders from spreading nationwide and globally.”
The Centers for Disease Control says that wearing face masks will reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
