A black market in fake vaccination cards is reaching epidemic proportions online.
Fraudsters have knocked off the three-by-four-inch cards on retail sites such as eBay, Etsy and Shopify, as well as on the social media sites Facebook and TikTok, the New York Times reported this week.
The Post, meanwhile, has found dozens of online DIY guides to print fake vaccination cards at home.
Counterfeiting has skyrocketed in recent weeks following news that an official vaccination card could soon become a central requirement to travel by airplanes and attend events.
And sellers and buyers are breaking federal law by falsifying vaccination documents and fraudulently reproducing the Center Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logo, which is on every card in the top right corner.
To warn that counterfeiters are at risk of prosecution, the Federal Bureau of Investigation advises, “If you haven’t received the vaccine, don’t buy fake vaccination cards, make your own vaccination cards, or fill out blank vaccination cards with fake vaccination cards. information.”
“We recommend that you do not post photos of your vaccination card on social media websites,” the site warns.
According to Saoud Khalifah, the founder of Fakespot, which offers data analytics to track down counterfeit items online, scammers have also sold fraudulent vaccine seals.
“People post, ‘Do you want the Moderna or do you want the Pfizer stamp?’” He told The Post.
“The map prescribes where you can go and what you can do,” he said.
Some people may not want the vaccine, but they want to go somewhere. So they buy this fake vaccination card with a fake stamp and make their way through the system. It is a pity.”
Meanwhile, 46 attorneys general have demanded that Twitter, eBay and Shopify take “immediate” action to monitor their platforms and remove “immediately” messages containing fake cards.
In a statement to The Post, the global marketplace Etsy said they were “removing posts promoting the items.”
And eBay told The Post the company is “taking important steps to block or promptly remove items” that make false health claims or that could be used to “falsely represent someone received the vaccine.”
As of December, eBay has removed or blocked approximately 50 million listings that violated their COVID-19 policies, ranging from price-hitting toilet paper and disinfectant wipes to items making false medical claims.