Give people a rule, they'll try to find a way around it. Even if that way isn't legitimate. Such is the case with Governor Abbott's Executive Order GA - 29 requiring most of us to wear face masks most of the time when in public places.

There are exceptions to every rule and the Executive Order makes allowances for those in Texas who have an actual medical reason for not being able to wear a face mask, even for a short period of time. And that's where the scam is coming in.

Locally, the Better Business Bureau or North Texas has had no reports of people trying to use these cards, but nationally various businesses have seen people come in and flash a Face Mask Exempt Card and say that they don't have to wear one. The national Better Business Bureau organization goes on to say that these cards, which frequently claim to be from the Department of Justice, are bogus.

The United States Department of Justice even issued an official alert about these fraudulent exemption cards.

While wearing a face mask for hours at a time is difficult and annoying, for the vast majority of us wearing one for the few minutes it takes us to go into a public place, conduct our business and move on to our next errand is merely a minor inconvenience.

The Centers For Disease Control strongly encourages everyone to wear a mask of some sort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Most of their recommendations are the same things our parents taught us in third grade; things like washing your hands frequently, not standing too close to someone you don't know when there is the risk of an infectious disease, and, because of the coronavirus pandemic, covering your mouth and nose when you're in public places.

For those who actually have a legitimate medical condition or disability that would prevent you from wearing a face covering your best bet is to get some sort of documentation from your medical practitioner.

For the rest of us, let's not fall for the scams. While I haven't seen the sources for the fraudulent exemption cards I'm sure money changed hands and a lot of personal information was given out to someone who was knowingly swindling the public.

KEEP READING: These are the top 6 scams connected to the pandemic

More From Newstalk 1290