Its guidelines prohibit the sale of any medical information, whether fake or genuine. Like other mainstream websites, Facebook ( FB) says it takes down scammer accounts as it finds them and aggressively polices efforts to undermine public health related to Covid. (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK via Getty Images) It does seem necessary to have some bitcoin, which sellers want in order to limit law enforcement’s ability to track them.Ī healthcare worker fills out a Covid-19 vaccination card at a community healthcare event in a predominately Latino neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, August 11, 2021. It’s not necessary to go on the dark web, where organized criminal gangs ply their trade. I wanted to see what it takes for an ordinary person to get a fake card. Customs officials recently seized more than 300,000 fake cards sent to the U.S. Memphis seems to be a hotbed for fake cards. Police in Hawaii nabbed a Florida couple accused of using four fake cards, including cards for two young kids below the vaccination age. Authorities have arrested some people allegedly selling fake cards. They’ve popped up on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and other popular sites, which typically take the pages down once they’re discovered. “This development has led to dramatic increases in activity in English-language illicit communities from threat actors looking to sell, buy, or produce proof of vaccination certificates,” cybersecurity firm Flashpoint reported in a recent analysis.įake vaccine documentation has been circulating since the vaccines themselves became available late last year. As municipalities like New York City and a growing list of employers require proof of vaccination, black-market alternatives are inevitably springing up for those unwilling to get a proper vaccination. It’s very clear, however, that there’s a booming cottage industry in bogus documentation relating to Covid-19. The FBI says it’s illegal to buy a fake vaccine card, so I didn’t place an order and I can’t confirm whether the site is a legitimate purveyor of fake cards. Once you provide the necessary personal details and pay with bitcoin, it takes 24 hours to process the order, which is then shipped overnight. Details promptly appeared in the Facebook messaging window: One vaccine card costs $100. From my personal Facebook account, I clicked on a button offering more information. “Get your vaccine card at very affordable price,” a nearby caption says. A Facebook page promoting health and beauty products features an intriguing photo: A stack of blank Covid-19 vaccination cards, with the logo for the Centers for Disease Control at the top.

Covid vaccination card template