The price of fake vaccination cards has risen 100% since President Biden's announcement of a sweeping new vaccine mandate.
In the days before the president's announcement that all businesses with over 100 employees must require vaccinations or weekly testing, darknet market links the cost of a fraudulent card ran about $100. The day after the announcement, the average cost spiked to $200.
The number of sellers cashing in on the anti-vax darknet market also spiked, from around 1,000 to more than 10,000, according to data from Israeli security firm Check Point shared with the
Biden last Thursday also strengthened a vaccine mandate for federal workers and contractors, requiring them to be vaccinated and eliminating the weekly testing alternative.
The number of subscribers in Telegram groups for fake vaccine cards increased five-fold, according to researchers at Check Point who monitor the Darknet Markets 2024 and deep web.
Counterfeit cards have for darknet market lists months popped up on Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Facebook, Instagram and other marketplaces.
In April, a bipartisan coalition of 47 state attorneys general sent a letter to the CEOs of Twitter, Shopify and eBay to take down ads or links selling the bogus cards.
Many of the sites have blacklisted keywords related to fake cards, but places to buy the documents are still popping up on messaging apps, chat forums and the dark web.
In July, the Department of Justice announced its first prosecution for fake vaccination proof, where a California naturopathic doctor, Juli Mazi, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements related to health care matters.
Biden last Thursday signed an executive order forcing businesses with over 100 employees to require vaccinations or weekly Covid-19 testing
A photo of a hand using a magnifying glass to check the authenticity of s Covid-19 vaccine card, taken on August 15
Thousands of counterfeit vaccination cards, containing typos and misspelled words, have been seized in Memphis
And on Aug. 17, a Chicago pharmacist, TangTang Zao, was arrested for selling dozens of fake vaccine cards for just $10 a pop.
'To put such a small price on the safety of our nation is not only an insult to those who are doing their part in the fight to stop COVID-19, but a federal crime with serious consequences,' said Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. of the FBI's Chicago Field Office.
Zao allegedly sold blank but authentic CDC vaccination cards and was charged with 12 counts of theft of government property. If convicted, he faces a sentence of 10 years in prison per count.