Dark web bursting with COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine passports

Dark web vendors are selling falsified COVID-19 vaccination records. (credit: Check Point Research)

Tired of waiting to get your vaccine appointment? For just $500, you could get a COVID-19 vaccine dose tomorrow (overnight shipping not included). Too rich for your blood? How about a vaccination card for just $150?

Security researchers have seen a spike in listings on dark web marketplaces in recent weeks. The sites are advertising everything from vaccine doses to falsified vaccine certifications and negative test results. Currently, 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 increase in such activity over the last three months. It's unclear if the doses are legitimate, and even if they were, there's no guarantee that the vials have been stored at the correct temperature, potentially rendering them useless.

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