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Vendors are cashing in on people desperate to leapfrog the line—or falsely certify which they got the shot.Security researchers have observed a spike in listings on dark web marketplaces in recent weeks. The sites are advertising sets from vaccine doses to falsified vaccine certifications and negative test results. Currently, a lot more than 1,200 listings are offering a variety of vaccines, including Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sputnik, and Sinopharm.
Investigations by researchers at security firm Check Point have been monitoring the sites for Covid-19-related activity since January, and they report a three-fold escalation in such activity during the last three months. It's unclear if the doses are legitimate, and even when they were, there's no guarantee that the vials have been stored at the proper temperature, potentially rendering them useless.
The other day, Check Point researchers situated in Israel attempted to purchase the Sinopharm vaccine from vendor, said Ekram Ahmed, a spokesperson for the company. "We tried to negotiate and buy the Chinese vaccine through one of many vendors," he told Ars. The team messaged the vendor, who directed them to carry on the negotiations on Telegram. Once there, the seller provided reassurances that the vaccine doses were legitimate. The researchers sent $500 to a Bitcoin wallet, and while they have received a FedEx shipping label, they've yet to get the shipment.
Dark web vendors are likely doing better business selling falsified vaccine cards and negative test results. "Lately, we're seeing more vaccination certificates being offered" than vaccines, Ahmed said. "It's probably a two-to-one ratio."
With COVID-19 testing becoming more widespread, the price for negative test results is as low as $25. Vaccination cards are harder in the future by and are selling for more, around $200. These certificates are becoming passports of sorts, allowing people a freedom of movement they haven't enjoyed in months. The European Union is in the act of fabricating a "digital green certificate" that they aspire to roll out by June to allow its citizens and residents traveling across borders. In the US, proof vaccination could grant people usage of certain venues, and employers may require it of their staff to come back to the workplace.
The researchers have alerted Europol to the listing and are contacting others today.the Check Point spokesperson, said that the sellers they contacted on dark web marketplaces were hoping to set up long-term relationships making use of their customers. The mark darkode market, he said, "are folks on the ground, individuals who are looking to spread and sell at the area level in bulk."