Fake NHS COVID jab certificates 'on sale via messaging app'

Counterfeit NHS vaccine certificates are being offered for sale via the Telegram encrypted messaging app for £200, according to a UK report.

The NHS Covid Pass is available to people who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, downloaded via the NHS app, and takes the form of a unique QR code that can be used to support travel and access some venues like clubs and restaurants in England.

An article in PoliticsHome has found however that multiple Telegram groups, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, are offering fraudulent certificates for sale.

There has been opposition to the use of certification by anti-vaccination campaigners as well as some UK politicians – across party lines – who claim they could be divisive and discriminatory against people who are either unable or unwilling to be vaccinated.

The PoliticsHome article notes that after posing as interested buyers, journalists were offered fake NHS Covid Passes for £200 per person that – according to the sellers – would be supplied by "NHS staff willing to alter medical records" and would be registered on NHS databases

There's no guarantee of course that the passes would be forthcoming if would-be purchasers parted with cash, with sellers asking for payment via Paypal or Bitcoin.

The Department of Health and Social Care told the publication that the NHS Covid Pass system has "rigorous security features" to reduce the risk of fraud.

The use of Telegram and other social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat to source fraudulent vaccination cards and certificates has also been highlighted by US cybersecurity firm Check Point, which says surging demand has meant prices for fake shave dropped to $100 to $120 from an earlier level of around $250.

The majority of the fake certificates sold from are European countries, according to the company, with the EU Digital COVID certificate, CDC and NHS Covid vaccine cards and fake PCR COVID-19 tests all on sale.