Fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates are being sold in a big way on the popular messaging application Telegram. A new report has emerged which claims that fake COVID test results, as well as vaccination certificates from 29 countries, are being sold on Telegram.
Check Point Research has come up with a report in which it has listed the countries affected by the fake certificate scam and even listed the prices at which fake vaccination certificates are being sold. According to the report, a fake vaccination certificate for India is around $75 ( ₹5,520) each.
According to the blog, more and more people who are avoiding vaccines are opting for fake documents to travel without major restrictions.
The blog claims that in December 2020, the cyber security agency posted hundreds of ads in the darknet offering purported vaccines for sale. Hundreds of ads served, a 400% increase over previous months. In March 2021, as the global roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination began to accelerate, the number of ads tripled to more than 1,200 with sellers in the US and European countries such as Spain, Germany, France and Russia. Fake ‘vaccine passports’ cost US$250, while fake negative COVID-19 test results cost just US$25.
The agency shared a report in August 2021 claiming that fake ‘vaccine passport’ certificates were on sale for US$100-US$120, with sellers from most European countries.
In August 2021, the number of vendors in CPR was around 1,000. The blog claims that the number of sellers has grown exponentially north of 10,000, marking a 10-fold increase.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, various state governments have mandated certain rules for those traveling inter-state by road or air to reduce the further spread of the virus.
Travelers need a negative COVID-19 test result (RT-PCR report) or vaccination certificate to visit some states that see a large influx of tourists.
Don’t miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint.
download
Our App Now!!
.