Sep 17, 2021 15:00:00

Sales of fake 'new corona vaccination certificate' surged, thousands of counterfeit cards seized

In the United States, when you vaccinate against a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), you will be issued a

vaccination record card. In some areas such as New York, restaurants and theaters are obliged to require customers to present a vaccination certificate, and a record card is required at such times. According to a newly reported content, thousands of counterfeit vaccination certificates have been seized since August 2021, and illegal trafficking is increasing rapidly, centered on the message app Telegram.

1,683 Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards & 2,034 Fake Pfizer Seals Seized by Cincinnati CBP | US Customs and Border Protection
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/1683-fake-covid-19-vaccination-cards-2034-fake-pfizer-seals-seized

Fake Covid vaccination card market booms
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/fake-covid-vaccination-card-market-booms-rcna2053

Five packages containing 2034 fake Pfizer vaccination stickers and 1683 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in a month since August 16, 2021 by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Was seized, announced on September 16th. Most of the luggage came from Shenzhen, China, and was delivered to ordinary houses as 'non-medical items'. The fake certificate contained the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) logo, but was identified as 'fake' due to misspelled text and poor print quality. That thing.

According to NBC News, online sales of counterfeit certificates have skyrocketed in recent weeks, and it has been confirmed that they can be bought and sold for a few hundred dollars (tens of thousands of yen). In March 2021, a pharmacist in Illinois, USA, was

arrested for selling 125 fake vaccination cards on eBay for $ 10 each. 'Purchasing a fake COVID-19 vaccination card is not only dangerous, but also illegal. Buying a fake vaccination card does not consider the health and safety of American citizens and makes money. Only will support the criminal of interest. Our staff does not think about the innocent person that the counterfeiter will suffer from his actions, but whatever benefits them. I know it's going to be duplicated. '

At the time of writing, the sale of vaccination cards was banned on social media and e-commerce sites such as Etsy, Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter, and this type of sale was rampant on Telegram, a messaging app based in the United Arab Emirates. It seems that it is. Telegram is loosely moderated compared to other message apps and social media, so it is gaining popularity from people on the far right in the United States. Check Point, a cybersecurity company, reports that it has identified about 10,000 Telegram users who claim to sell fake vaccination cards. However, Telegram has not responded to requests for comment on this matter.

A person who actually sells vaccination cards on Telegram told NBC News that he 'requires Bitcoin for payment.' In addition, it seems that he is asking for more information than necessary such as birthday and phone number at the time of sale because it is 'for registration', but he said that he did not specify what registration was done. .. 'It's unclear if the card was actually sent, but CBP says it has seized thousands of counterfeit certificates in the last few months,' NBC News said. It suggests that even if you purchase a counterfeit certificate, you may not receive it.