Telegram users are being sold fake vaccine cards by people who want to deceive anti-vaxxers.Check Point's research arm has released a new report about the rise of black markets for fake vaccine cards on Telegram. The report estimates that there are currently over 2,500 active channels and groups selling fake vaccination records from all over the world, which is a 257 percent increase over its March report.There are thousands of people who follow these channels and groups that sell illicit goods. One channel has more than 450,000 subscribers. You can purchase vaccine records for as low as $100 per pop. This is paid in cryptocurrency. You simply need to tell the sellers which country you would like a record from. Although passports and vaccine cards are available for many countries, Check Point states that most sellers concentrate on European countries.A Telegram group advertising fake vaccine card sales. Credit: check pointFake vaccine sellers might be able to help people who aren't willing to follow the government's or business requirements for COVID vaccination. They'd rather get a potentially lifesaving shot than spend money on a fake record. Check Point stated that the dark web used to be the most popular place for selling fake vaccine cards. This has changed with Telegram emerging as the preferred platform.Ekram Ahmed, Check Point spokesperson, stated via email that the shift to Telegram was the most noticeable change in the black marketplace for coronavirus service services. We believe these vendors chose Telegram to expand their distribution while maintaining some privacy.Ahmed noted that Telegram is easier to use than the dark net, and can reach a large number of people quickly.This largest public channel has more than 450,000 subscribers. Credit: check pointTelegram is a social networking and messaging platform that combines both a social network and messaging platform. You can send private messages to friends and groups of friends, join public channels with unlimited members, or join private groups with up to 200,000 members.Telegram has exceeded 500 million active users in January, as a result of WhatsApp's notification about data privacy.Telegram is an ideal platform for these vendors due to its, shall we say it, loose approach to illegal activity. Telegram bans spam and scams as well as posts that promote violence and pornographic material on public channels. This is a much stricter policy than on other social networks, particularly when it comes COVID content. Multiple social networks have banned any misleading or illegal postings about COVID as a response to misinformation and scams.In private chats and groups, you can also post violent or pornographic content. Groups are open to all. Telegram clearly states that it does not respond to requests regarding content within groups, even those about illegal activity.Ahmed stated that Telegram should examine this issue and reevaluate their content moderation policies if they are in need of changes. He also said that Telegram's black market will only rise more as governments plan vaccine mandates at different levels.Counterfeiters sell cards for multiple countries. Credit: check pointAccording to an FBI announcement, selling and making fake vaccine cards are illegal. This is despite public health campaigns to counter the rapidly-emerging Delta variant of vaccines. Check Point has found that fake cards are being sold by sellers to people who don't want to get the vaccine but live in areas where they are required to be vaccinated to work, study, or engage in public life.According to Check Point, one seller advertised that "We are here for the world to save it from this poisonous vaccination."Check Point does not have any data about the actual number of people who are buying the cards. However, it states that there is evidence that this market is active and has a lot of activity.Ahmed stated that "the existence, proliferation, and market buzz we were seeing on a daily basis, on Telegram gives us strong reasons to believe the market is transacting on a scale."It's easy to think that it's all for one miracle shot. Sigh.
