Interpol red flags online vaccines Jürgen Stock

Freeman Razemba 

Crime Reporter 

The International Criminal Police Organisations (Interpol) has issued a global alert to law enforcement agencies in its 194-member states against online alleged Covid-19 vaccines and treatments scams after conducting recent operations in China and South Africa. 

Interpol enables police in member countries to work together to fight international crime and Zimbabwe has been a member since November 1980. Interpol and the United States’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have since joined forces to warn the public against purchasing the alleged Covid-19 vaccines and treatments online. 

With criminal groups producing, distributing and selling fake vaccines, the risks to the public are clear: these can include buying a product which not only does not protect against Covid-19, but poses a serious health hazard if ingested or injected. 

Such products are not tested, regulated or safety-checked. 

According to Interpol legitimate vaccines are not for sale. They are strictly administered and distributed by national healthcare regulators. 

Anyone buying these products online also runs the risk of potentially giving their money to organised criminals. 

Interpol secretary general Jürgen Stock was quoted saying, “From the very beginning of the pandemic, criminals have preyed on people’s fears in order to make fast cash. 

Fake vaccines are the latest in these scams, which is why Interpol and HSI are warning the public to be extra vigilant. 

“The networks behind these crimes have global ambitions. No country or region can fight this type of crime alone. Interpol is assisting law enforcement around the world to both identify criminal networks and to dismantle them.” 

Following a global alert issued by Interpol in late 2020 the world police body recently announced the first internationally linked arrests and seizures in connection with fake vaccines after criminal networks were disrupted in China and South Africa.

Interpol has also been receiving additional information on fake vaccine distribution and scam attempts targeting health bodies, including nursing homes. 

HSI assistant director, and director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Centre, Mr Steve Francis also said, 

“Counterfeit vaccines threaten the health of consumers who are duped by nefarious actors seeking to exploit the pandemic situation for financial gain. HSI and its law enforcement partners will vigorously investigate and seek prosecution for criminals taking advantage of the public’s quest for COVID-19 vaccinations and those who endanger the lives of the very people the vaccines are intended to protect.” 

He added, “HSI will continue to work with INTERPOL to coordinate investigations targeting every level of the transnational criminal organisations trafficking in counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines.” 

An emerging trend has seen cybercriminals set up illicit websites claiming to be legitimate national and/or world organisations offering pre-orders for vaccines against the Covid-19 virus. 

These websites offer payments in bitcoin and other payment processing methods. 

Using trademark logos of major pharmaceutical companies producing approved Covid-19 vaccines, the fake websites are suspected of being used to conduct phishing attacks and/or dupe victims into giving charitable donations. 

In addition to opening up their computer to cyber attacks when attempting to purchase alleged Covid-19 vaccines online, people also run the risk of having their identity stolen. 

In December 2020, HSI seized two websites purporting to be those of biotechnology companies developing treatments for the Covid-19 virus. Instead they appeared to have been used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the sites, in order to use the information for criminal purposes, including fraud, phishing attacks, and/or deployment of malware. 

Ransomware attacks have also been conducted against hospitals, laboratories, local governments and other targets, remotely blocking computer systems and demanding a payment to release them. 

Given the need for a global response against these types of cyber-enabled fraud and financial crime, Interpol created the Global Financial Crime Task Force (IGFCTF) in 2020 with member countries in order to enhance international cooperation and innovation with public and private sector partners.

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