Dark Web Getting Loaded With Bogus Covid-19 Vaccines and Forged Cards
May 13, 2021
Bogus COVID-19 test results, fraudulent vaccination cards, and questionable vaccines are emerging a hot commodity on the dark web in what's the latest in a long list of cybercrimes capitalizing on the coronavirus pandemic. "A new and troubling phenomenon is that consumers are buying COVID-19 vaccines on the black market due to the increased demand around the world," said Anne An, a senior security researcher at McAfee's Advanced Programs Group (APG). "As a result, illegal COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination records are in high demand on darknet marketplaces." The growing demand and the race towards achieving herd immunity means at least a dozen underground marketplaces are peddling COVID-19 related merchandise, with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines purchasable for $500 per dose from top-selling vendors who rely on services like Wickr, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Gmail for advertising and communications. Darknet listings for the supposed vaccines are being sold...
