Italy: They dismantle a network of false sale of Covid certificates and vaccines

The Italian police have dismantled a network that sold false European vaccination certificates and vials of coronavirus vaccines through the deep web, where the purchase and sale operations could be completed with payment in cryptocurrencies and for which thousands of users had registered.

Agents of the Finance Guard and the department against fraud and cybercrime of the Milan Prosecutor’s Office (north) located and confiscated 10 Telegram accounts and channels from which users were forwarded to anonymous deep internet accounts where it was possible to obtain false certificates and vaccines, local media report.

“The new criminal business has focused mainly on the sale of European vaccination certificates with false identification data of the vaccine, the corresponding QR code, specially created, and the number that identifies the lot of origin of the first and second doses of vaccine.” Said the police.

Cybercriminals claimed that the false certificates could be delivered even to people residing in countries outside the European Union (EU), such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

“Despite exorbitant prices and skyrocketing health risks“, highlights the police, thousands of people had registered in the illegal channels in search of vaccines and certificates, attracted by the opportunity to buy packages “all inclusive”, whose price ranged between 110 and 130 euros, with a guarantee of anonymity, tracking and traceability of the shipment.