Fake Vaccine Certificates Industry Flourishing to the Core

Research undertaken by Check Point Research (CPR) has revealed that fake vaccination certificates and fake test results of twenty-nine different countries, including India, are fraudulently available on Telegram. An Indian fake vaccination certificate is available at a price of about US$75 each.  As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, in India, various state governments have mandated certain regulations for those undertaking inter-state travel by road or air to mitigate the further spread of the virus. It is mandatory for travelers to carry a negative Covid-19 test result (RT-PCR report) or a vaccination certificate to enter states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, etc. These states have seen a large influx of tourists following the second wave of the pandemic. Such strict regulations have resulted in the demand for and availability of fake test results and vaccine certificates in the black market from those who do not wish to be vaccinated.

In March 2021, the majority of the fake coronavirus certificates were advertised on Darknet. Check Point Research sees a majority of black market activity centered on Telegram. CPR suspects that the shift to Telegram has helped sellers scale their distribution efforts, thereby reaching more consumers much faster. In August 2021, CPR saw the number of sellers to number around 1,000. Today, the number of sellers has grown exponentially to the north of 10,000, marking a 10x increase.

Back in December 2020, CPR spotted hundreds of adverts in the Darknet offering supposed vaccines for sale. The hundreds of adverts presented, back then, a 400% increase compared to previous months. In March 2021, while the global roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations started to accelerate, the number of adverts tripled to over 1,200 with sellers based in the U.S. and European countries such as Spain, Germany, France, and Russia. Prices for fake ‘vaccine passports were US$250 each, while fake negative COVID-19 test results cost just US$25 each.