COVID-19: 'Keep aware with love' poster removed from Picton real estate office after falling victim to 'scam'

An image of the poster was shared online on Monday.
An image of the poster was shared online on Monday. Photo credit: Brendan Kelly/Twitter

A poster telling people to "trust your own immune system", appearing to mimic the Government's official COVID-19 signage, has been removed from a Picton real estate office after the company said it fell victim to a "scam".

An image of the poster was shared on Twitter on Monday after being seen in the window of Picton's Summit Real Estate Office.

"Keep aware with love," the poster said. "Keep loving yourself and each other, trust your own immune system, trust your intuition, not the system, smile and wave to your fellow beings.

"If COVID gets to the South Island we are f**ked," the man who shared the poster said.

However, Summit Real Estate director Allister Nalder said the office had fallen victim to a scam and the poster has since been taken down.

"Our front office team would normally catch up on any scam as they arrive, unfortunately, this one wasn't," he said. "The poster has been removed. 

"My apologies for any concern this may have caused."

The poster, which also said was from the "Department of Telling the Truth", resembles the Government's Unite Against COVID-19 ad campaign, with the same yellow and black design.

Newshub asked the Ministry of Health if it was concerning the signage was being replicated but was referred to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

In August, an online mask retailer came under fire for seemingly passing off an advertising poster as an official Government COVID-19 health flyer. 

At the time, a Government COVID-19 Response spokesperson said non-Government bodies can only use the content for non-commercial purposes while making it clear it came from the website and "is owned by the Crown".