Sellers in 15 different “dark web” markets distribute hundreds of doses of what they claim Covid-19 vaccines, according to a new study by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. What’s more, Kaspersky researchers believe that a significant portion of sales, as much as 30%, could be from real vaccines.
“There is evidence to suggest that some of these sellers are offering the right doses,” said Dmitry Galov, a researcher at Kaspersky who led the study of illegal online vaccine sales. “There are photos of packaging and medical certificates. It seems like some of these people have access to medical institutions.”
The doses are available for as much as $ 1,200 per doll, and researchers from Kaspersky, who completed their study two weeks ago, say some vaccine makers have completed up to 500 transactions. Galov said prices have risen recently and that all sales are done in cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, making it difficult to trace. But at least some of the sellers claimed to be in the United States, according to the study. Other sellers said they were based in Europe.
Most sellers appear to be unsophisticated and have only offered a few doses each. Still, Galov said Kaspersky’s researchers found at least a handful of sellers who had completed hundreds of transactions of what appeared to be actual vaccinations.
One of the vaccine ads found by Kaspersky researchers stated that it does not sell vaccines, but rather accepts donations in exchange for doses. “Your donations will help save more lives, so show your generosity,” read the offer that donors ordered to advance $ 81 in bitcoin per requested dose, along with a name, address and any known illnesses or medical conditions to receive a consignment of vaccine. It is also stated that the stock is limited, so that “we can save more lives as soon as possible.”
Thanks to Kaspersky
Lev Kubiak, chief security officer of Pfizer, told CBS MoneyWatch the pharmaceutical company found a few instances that scammers had falsified the company’s packaging, but that there were no actual doses for sale.
“Pfizer proactively monitors the Internet, including the dark web, and coordinates with law enforcement,” Kubiak said. “We have not yet seen any real doses in the illegal market.”
According to Kubiak, Pfizer has been closely monitoring where the vaccines are going. “In the US, there is no cost to be vaccinated, and the only vaccine sold in the US is to government agencies,” Kubiak said. “People need to be very careful. As far as we can tell, there are no dose leaks. [outside of legitimate vaccination channels]. “
Spokesmen for the vaccine manufacturers Moderna and AstraZenca did not comment.
The problem of whether some vaccines are sold on the dark web – and whether people are snatched away – is increasing. The dark web is the general term used for web pages that are encrypted so that they cannot be found by Google or other search engines and require the use of an “anonymizing” browser. Often the web pages are also encrypted.
In an academic study published in January, it was found that the offerings of vaccines had already started to appear on the dark web in March 2020. The offers were almost certainly false.
Last month, Check Point said CBS Chicago the number of vaccine ads on the dark web has grown rapidly over the past six weeks. But when researchers from the cyber security firm tried to buy vaccines, the sellers disappeared before the researchers could get any doses.
“Our expectations were low and of course they were not met,” Check Point chief engineer Mark Ostrowski told CBS Chicago.
Kaspersky’s Galov said there are some specialized markets on the dark web that can only be used for invitations, claiming to sell vaccines. But vaccines are also sold in some of the larger dark web markets. Galov said Kaspersky decided not to disclose the names of the markets in his study because he did not want to encourage individuals to try to get vaccines themselves.
For sale: rogue vaccine tickets and test results
“It’s harder than going to Amazon,” Galov said. “But it’s not that difficult that only a specialized engineer can figure it out.”
Galov said he saw no evidence that regulators were trying to crack down on those on the dark web who claimed to be selling vaccines.
Also on sale are fake vaccination cards and forged documents claiming that a person has undergone a negative COVID-19 test. According to the study, dubious treatments for the disease are also being proposed.
In some cases, sellers have claimed to have created special shipping containers to ship doses of Pfizer’s vaccine – which must be kept well below zero at temperatures to remain effective.
“Sellers try to prove [the doses] is not false, “Galov said. We think some of them are indeed genuine. “