At the start of the pandemic, we told you about the phenomenon of counterfeit masks sold online. Now, after profiting for months from the sale of fake PPE (personal protective equipment), the eyes of counterfeiters and criminal organisations are turning to vaccines.
Over the past few weeks, both Interpol and the EMA (European Medicines Agency) have sounded the alarm over the risks of the online proliferation of listings and websites offering counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines for sale.
According to Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock, "As governments prepare to start vaccinations, criminal organisations are planning to infiltrate or disrupt the vaccine supply chain".
The EMA shares this view. In a tweet published on 11 December, the European agency urged citizens not to buy COVID-19 vaccines from unauthorised websites and from sellers ready to exploit people's fear.
But what prompted Interpol and the EMA to sound the alarm? Are counterfeit vaccines already being offered for sale by criminal organisations? Yes. And that is not all. The vaccine is also being used as bait on "scam" websites in order to defraud users and steal their personal data.
Below are just some of the problematic situations that have recently emerged:
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Counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines offered for sale on the dark web for 250 dollars[1].
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Phishing emails with an attached file named "Download_Covid 19 New approved vaccines.23.07.2020.exe". If the file is opened, an infostealer (malware designed to steal the user's data) is installed on the computer.
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1,062 domain names registered since November containing the word "vaccine", 400 of which also include the words "Covid" or "Corona". [2]
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Fake Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines (vaccines developed by China) offered for sale on WeChat for 1,500 RMB (about 300 dollars). [3]
In Italy, too, the authorities are on maximum alert over the possible arrival of the first shipments of counterfeit vaccines which, if administered, could cause serious harm to citizens' health[4].
To conclude, counterfeiting is a very insidious phenomenon that can not only cause serious damage to businesses and the economy [5], but also risks undermining the public health of countries already hard hit by the pandemic.
To learn more about counterfeiting and the methods to fight it, visit https://brandprotection.argobs.com/.
[1] https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/fake-covid-19-vaccine-scams-darknet-checkpoint-report-7104552/
[2] https://www.securingindustry.com/pharmaceuticals/covid-19-vaccines-on-sale-for-250-on-dark-net/s40/a12683/
[3] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-22/border-force-warn-against-importing-coronavirus-vaccines/12581996
[4] https://www.lastampa.it/topnews/primo-piano/2020/11/25/news/covid-quei-falsi-vaccini-venduti-in-rete-attenzione-sono-pericolosi-1.39579060
[5] https://brandprotection.argobs.com/come-la-contraffazione-online-colpisce-i-brand-dellindustria/