With the apt title ‘They tell you what you want to hear’ the Guardian has a short piece today on scamming people who buy fake vaccine cards or other certificates. It is an example of criminals victimising other criminals.
The Guardian notes instances of scammers offering to sell a US fake vaccine card, including having the vaccinationed status registered in a non-existant Center for Disease Control (CDC) database. The CDC does not have a vaccination register or provide a CDC-labeled vaccination record card. As with fake testamurs, driver licence documents and passports the market is global.
The article states
Home Boy, who is based in Cameroon, sells cards for $170 and claims he delivers within 48 hours. He said he had worked with more than 250 people in the past three months. When asked about rumors about rampant scams on the platform, he shares “proof” of vaccine cards he has made. “If we have to work together we have to start by building trust,” he said.
For $149, a user called “Admin 24/24”, based in Australia, said they could provide a digital vaccine pass “for every country”.
Another scammer going by the name of “Stella Bright” promised to send QR codes provided by doctors who “work with the government but are ready to save the world”. When asked if this was a scam, she said: “We are part of those fighting fraudsters on Telegram and doing the right job. In a period of hardship like this one, we need heroes out there who can protect humans again since our government has failed us all.”
Getting the vaccine is free, straightforward and safe but some people have instead chosen to spend weeks trying to illegally obtain fake vaccine cards only to get scammed, by other criminals, for hundreds of dollars. ...
It took Maggie two tries and $450 before she realized she wasn’t going to get the fake vaccine cards she was looking to buy. ... Thinking that she might be getting scammed again, she pulled the plug. “I don’t trust any of them anymore. I haven’t come across even one other person [trying to buy a fake vaccine card] who has found someone legit,” Maggie told the Guardian.
Ah yes, disappointment that the person who you want to aid your scam is indeed a scammer
Sara, who is based in Australia, has been scammed by five people and lost more than $1,000. She had coronavirus in March and told the Guardian she believes she has enough immunity from the experience and so doesn’t need the vaccine.
