Fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates offered on the dark web allow customers to travel internationally while claiming to be vaccinated. However, the dangers of forgeries go far beyond the legal ramifications.
The pattern of faked negative COVID-19 test results and fraudulent vaccination certificates provided on the Darknet and other hacker forums have been addressed in recent research by Check Point Research. People looking to board planes, traverse borders, attend events, and start new careers are said to be buying these.
The phoney documents pose a risk of spreading the infection across national borders. People who acquire and misuse false papers continue to put their lives and the lives of those around them in peril.
How they are made
These documents are based on a template drawn from a genuine vaccination certificate. The forgers then manufacture phoney vaccination documents using the purchasers’ information and send them to the buyers.
The purchasers can then use these forged certificates, whether in digital or physical form, to persuade authorities that they have been vaccinated, allowing them to travel internationally. False COVID-19 test results are also offered for around $25, in addition to fake immunization papers.