The dark web is a part of the Internet that is not detected by search engines where cybercriminals often sell and buy illicit materials, from credit card and drug numbers to cyber weapons and now, apparently, coronavirus-related products.
A Check Point spokesman told CNN Business that he was not sure if the vaccines were real, but said they “appear to be legitimate” in the images on the packaging and medical certificates. Dark web vaccine ads have risen 300 percent in the past three months, according to the report.
In the meantime, vaccine certificates – or proof of vaccination cards – are created and printed to order; the buyer provides the desired name and data on the certificate, and the seller responds with what Check Point said looks like an authentic card.
Counterfeit products are sold at people who need to board planes, cross borders, start a new job or other activities that could require someone to prove vaccination
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) logo, including an image of an eagle, is displayed in the upper right corner of fake vaccine cards, as are real ones. A Check Point spokesman told the company estimates that “sellers are able to issue fake vaccination cards by the thousands, if not tens of thousands, based on requests.”
Also for sale: Covid-19 test negative results for $ 25 (or “buy 2, get a third for free”).
Some experts say that illegal markets around vaccine cards and digital passports are inevitable. “Not everyone has access to the vaccine; launches are slow in many countries, and people are tired of blockages and shutdowns,” said Michela Menting, who covers cybersecurity for ABI Research. “If people can easily get a fake passport to avoid the restrictions, then they will do so and an illicit market will emerge around it.”