Tag: black market

Tennessee Seizes Thousands of Counterfeit COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Shipped From China

Over 3,000 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards from China have been seized in Memphis, Tennessee en route to other cities in the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) caught a shipment from Shenzhen, China to New Orleans, Louisiana, which contained 51 blank counterfeit vaccination cards, CBP said in a press release on Aug. 13. “It was the 15th such shipment of the night,” they said.

The FBI warned on March 30 that buying, selling, or using a counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards is a crime, and violators will face a fine and up to five years in prison.

The White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients also warned on Aug. 13 that it is “a crime” to falsify COVID-19 vaccination cards, amid new restrictions handed down by several major cities.

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White House: ‘It’s a Crime’ to Fake COVID-19 Vaccine Cards, No ‘Vaccination Database’

Federal officials this week warned that it is “a crime” to falsify COVID-19 vaccination cards amid new restrictions handed down by several major cities.

“We are aware of some cases of fraud or counterfeit COVID-19 cards being advertised on social media sites and e-commerce platforms, while the practice is not widespread,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said during a COVID-19 White House virtual briefing.

Zients added that “it’s a crime,” and that the “Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services is investigating these schemes.”

Previously, the FBI and other federal agencies said anyone who is buying or selling fake vaccine cards could face penalties.

On Thursday, Zients said that the federal government is not planning to create a centralized database that holds individuals’ vaccination records.

“There will be no federal vaccination database. As with all other vaccines, the information gets held at the state and local level,” he said. “But any system that is developed in the private sector or elsewhere must meet key standards, including affordability, being available both digitally and on paper and importantly, protecting people’s privacy and security.”

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A Black Market in COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Was Inevitable

Given my warnings about the dawning age of vaccine passports, it shouldn’t have surprised me when my phone rang over the weekend and an old college buddy asked if I could hook him up with a forged COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card. For the record, I can’t help with that, but plenty of other people can. Proliferating requirements for proof of vaccination by schools, employers, and governments have, inevitably, spawned a thriving industry in bogus documents for use by those who don’t want to get jabbed, or who resent being bossed around.

Back in February, when vaccines were young and we were all pretending to be innocent, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that posting photos online of vaccine cards could invite ID theft and, more convincingly, that people were “using the vaccination cards placed onto social media to forge vaccination cards and selling them for profit.”

Later, the FBI called out active markets in forged cards and arrested vendors of the documents. “The unauthorized use of an official government agency’s seal on such cards is a crime that may be punishable under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1017, and other federal laws,” warn the feds. “Penalties may include hefty fines and prison time.”

Note that black market vendors of bogus vaccine cards began appearing prior to New York City requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry to the city’s bars, restaurants, gyms, and concert venues. Demand for their wares can only grow now that other jurisdictions are floating similar requirements.

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Black market for negative COVID-19 tests pops up across the globe

A black market for negative COVID-19 tests has popped up across the globe as more countries require travelers to prove their negative status before entering, a report said Wednesday.

In France, seven people were arrested last week for allegedly hawking doctored coronavirus tests at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, the Associated Press reported. The suspects, who were not identified, were charging up to $360 for the fake tests.

Authorities tracked the ring down after finding a man bound for Ethiopia with a fake test, according to the report. The alleged scammers face up to five years in prison if convicted.

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