Dubious Covid-19 Shots, Fake Vaccination Certificates Proliferate on Dark Web

As more shots become available, the EU plans to roll out a “Digital Green Certificate,” a pass showing vaccination records and test results, to facilitate free movement. Europeans this summer are expected to receive paper or digital certificates with a bar code to be scanned at airports and other border points.

The dark web—back alleys of the internet using anonymity software to mask their location—is exploiting the situation, with fake Covid-19 shots and vaccination certificates selling for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

“European citizens could become increasingly interested in vaccines sold on criminal marketplaces over the coming months, especially if current frustrations around supplies persist,” said Jamie Collier, an intelligence analyst at Mandiant Threat Intelligence, part of U.S.-based cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc.

Several marketplaces seen by The Wall Street Journal showed Covid-19 vaccines for sale, such as batches of 1,000 shots of Russia’s Sputnik V for $4,000 worth of bitcoin or 800 shots of the Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE vaccine for $20,000 in bitcoin.

Vaccination certificates and test results are also available. One listing showed what was purportedly a German Covid-19 vaccination certificate for $22.35, payable in either bitcoin or monero. A Russian-language marketplace advertised a test certificate for 4,000 rubles, equivalent to around $53.

People who haven’t been vaccinated have to pay for tests to board flights or attend events to comply with local rules. This will likely lead to an increase in the sale of fake vaccination certificates, said Liad Mizrachi, security expert at Check Point Research, part of cybersecurity company Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

“For now, non-vaccinated people need a Covid-19 test to receive the same benefit as vaccinated people, which is very costly,” he said.

Criminals are adapting and attempting to exploit vaccines as they did at the beginning of the pandemic when they advertised fake Covid-19 cures, said a representative for Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency.

While many of the listings for vaccines are likely to be fake, there are concerns that resellers offering stolen authentic doses wouldn’t be able to maintain the ultra-cold temperatures in supply chains that are needed to preserve the medicine, said Mr. Collier.

Europol warns that citizens should rely only on legal supply chains as indicated by governments to prevent frauds, risks or scams, a message echoed by the World Health Organization.

Patients and buyers should receive vaccines exclusively through official channels and regulated supply chains, according to the WHO, since offers on websites, social media and messaging apps may be attempts to supply fraudulent medical products.

The EU expects to receive more than 400 million vaccine doses in the second quarter, a significant improvement from the 107 million it received in the first quarter. Still, Check Point’s Mr. Mizrachi said a number of setbacks in the bloc’s inoculation campaign, along with government-imposed lockdowns and other restrictions, have paved the way for increased demand for proof of Covid-19 immunity, Check Point’s Mr. Mizrachi said.

“Where there is demand, there is a market,” he said.

Write to Mauro Orru at [email protected]