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 COVID-19 vaccine scams are on the rise, according to European and
U.S. government officials who are warning the public of fraudsters
out for money and personal data.
A Reuters search online, in dark web forums and on messaging app
Telegram found seven different offers for alleged COVID-19 vaccines.
Scams include emails promising entry to supposedly secret lists for
early vaccine access and robocallers impersonating government
agencies. Message boards on the so-called dark web have added
COVID-19 vaccines to more traditional illicit goods for sale.
The U.S. FBI and Interpol, among others, have warned of emerging
pandemic-related fraud schemes, saying false cures and vaccines
advertised on fake websites could pose cyber threats and a
significant risk to peoples' health, or even lives.
Website domains containing the word vaccine in combination with
COVID-19 or coronavirus more than doubled since October to roughly
2,500 in November, when the first legitimate vaccines were nearing
regulatory approval, according to cybersecurity firm Recorded
Future, which is tracking COVID-19 fraud online.
"So far a lot of these domains just appear to be opportunistic
registrations, but some are going to be used for phishing attempts
to have people click on (malicious) links," said Lindsay Kaye,
director of operational outcomes at Recorded Future.
Kaye said her team, which also scours the dark web, so far has not
come across any legitimate vaccine diverted from healthcare
facilities or national stockpiles.
The scams are preying on concerns about the far slower-than-promised
rollout of vaccines to protect against the virus that has claimed
more than 1.8 million lives worldwide so far. Most people will
likely have to wait well into the spring, or even summer, to get
their shot.
In the United States, only about 4.5 million people had received
their first shot as of Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention reported. That is a fraction of the 20 million who
were supposed to have been vaccinated by the end of 2020, according
to earlier government forecasts.
VACCINES, GUNS AND MONEY
On dark web forum Agartha, fake COVID-19 vaccines were offered next
to cocaine, opioid medication, "super high quality fake money," hand
guns and gift cards. Posts showed stock photos of vaccines and
offered vials for $500 and $1,000, or the equivalent in Bitcoin.
On another dark web site, a seller claiming to be from the "Wuhan
Institute of Science" offered COVID-19 vaccines in exchange for a
donation, and asked buyers to provide their medical history.
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On Telegram, several channels claimed to offer COVID-19 vaccines,
accompanied by stock images. One user offered supposed Moderna Inc
vaccines for $180, and claimed the vaccine from Pfizer Inc and
BioNTech SE could be had for $150 and AstraZeneca's for $110 per
vial.
Asked how the vaccines would be shipped, the account creator said
they were transported in "regulated temperature packs" and ice packs
within a few days, or overnight for an additional charge.
Actual COVID-19 vaccines, particularly the Pfizer/BioNTech offering,
must be temperature controlled to remain effective, with drugmakers
equipping shipments with temperature trackers to ensure the cold
chain. Vaccine shipments and distribution are also tightly
controlled by officials and will be administered at no cost.
The United States has so far authorized two COVID-19 vaccines for
emergency use - the ones from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. The
European Union to date has authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
and is expected to clear the Moderna vaccine this week.
The UK has already authorized those two and just added the vaccine
developed by Oxford University with AstraZeneca.
Asked about vaccine scams, Pfizer said it had taken meticulous steps
to reduce the risk of counterfeiting and tracked trends very
carefully.
"Patients should never try to secure a vaccine online - no
legitimate vaccine is sold online - and only get vaccinated at
certified vaccination centers or by certified healthcare providers,"
a Pfizer spokesman said in a statement.
Moderna referred a request for comment to the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), which did not respond. AstraZeneca
did not respond to a request for comment.
The HHS, FBI and U.S. Department of Justice have urged the public to
report any COVID-19 vaccine scams, including people asking for
out-of-pocket payments for the vaccine and online vaccine
advertisements.
(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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