The dark web is a part of the internet that is not detected by search engines, where cybercriminals often sell and buy illegal material, from credit card numbers and drugs to cyber weapons and now apparently coronavirus-related products.
A Check Point spokesman told CNN Business it was unsure if the vaccines were real, but said it appeared to be legal from the photos of packaging and medical certificates. Advertising for vaccines on the dark web has risen by 300% over the past three months, according to the report.
Meanwhile, vaccination certificates – or proof of vaccination cards – are created and printed to order; the buyer gives the name and dates he wants on the certificate, and the seller responds to what Check Point said like an authentic card.
The counterfeit products are marketed people who have to board planes, cross borders, start a new job or other activities that may require someone to provide proof of vaccination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) logo, including a photo of an eagle, appears in the top right corner of the fake vaccine tickets, just like on the right one. The Check Point spokesman said the company estimates “providers are able to pump out thousands, if not tens of thousands, of fake vaccination cards based on requests.”
For sale: negative Covid-19 test scores for $ 25 (or “buy 2, get the third one for free”).
Some experts believe that illegal markets around vaccination cards and digital passports are inevitable. “Not everyone has access to the vaccine; in many countries implementation is slow and people are tired of locks and curfews,” said Michela Menting, who covers ABI Research’s cyber security. “If people can easily get hold of a fake passport to avoid restrictions, they will do so, and an illegal market will therefore emerge.”