As the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to rise worldwide, sales of fake vaccination cards to those “who do not want to take the vaccine” are increasing too, according to the cyber threat research team Check Point Research (CPR).
Since March 2021, CPR reported a 257% jump in the number of sellers using the cloud-based instant messaging software Telegram to advertise fake vaccination cards, as pressure to get inoculated rises. The fake CDC, NHS and EU Digital COVID cards are being sold for $100 and can be purchased with PayPal or cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin. Also offered are fake PCR COVID-19 tests.
CPR said the black market groups have 100,000 followers each on average, with some groups exceeding over 450,000 followers, a 566% increase from March, when the cards were being sold for closer to $200 each. They noted that Telegram is the most commonly used digital market for the cards, which has sellers based in the USA, UK, Switzerland, Pakistan, Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Indonesia, and France, with the majority being sold in European countries.
Before March, most of the fake certificates were being sold on the dark net, CPR said.
Oded Vanunu, Head of Products Vulnerabilities Research at CPR, said the group is looking into the shift from dark web sales to Telegram and similar services such as WhatsApp.
“We’ve been studying the darknet and Telegram for coronavirus-related services all year," Vanunu said. "Right now, fake vaccination cards for almost all countries are now available for purchase. All you need to do is list the country you are from and what you want. Vendors are choosing to advertise and do business on Telegram because it scales with their distribution. Telegram is less technical to use compared to the darknet and can reach an inordinate amount of people, fast. We believe the broader market surge is fueled by the rapidly spreading Delta variant and the stemming urgency for everyone to become vaccinated. In effect, there are people who don’t want to take the vaccine, but still want the freedoms that come with proving vaccination. These people are increasingly turning to the darknet and Telegram in scores. Since March, prices for fake vaccination cards have dropped by half and online groups for these fraudulent coronavirus services boast followings of hundreds of thousands of people. I strongly recommend people to not engage these sellers for anything, as these vendors are after more than just selling you fake vaccination cards.”