Criminals are selling fake Covid negative test certificates as an increasing number of countries require travelers to provide evidence of such results, European law enforcement agency Europol warned Monday.
Several cases of fake documents being sold have already been identified, the agency said in an “Early Warning Notice” to European police.
This includes the “arrest of a forgery ring at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris selling false negative test results to passengers,” who charged between $ 180 and $ 360 for false certificates, Europol said.
In the UK, Europol’s intelligence agency found that “fraudsters were caught selling fake COVID-19 testing documents for $ 135, with the name of a real lab being forged on the fake certificates.”
Criminals also use online platforms to sell fake certificates, Europol warns, also in Spain, where a “fraudster was arrested by the Spanish national police for selling false negative PCR certificates” for $ 50 each.
In the Netherlands, “scammers were discovered selling fake negative test statements for $ 60-72 through messaging apps.”
A true “fit-to-fly” PCR certificate in the UK costs more than $ 273, CNN research found.
In the warning, Europol said:
“As long as travel restrictions remain in place due to the COVID-19 situation, it is very likely that the production and sale of false test certificates will prevail.”
“Given the widespread technology available, in the form of high-quality printers and various software, fraudsters are able to produce high-quality counterfeit, forged or falsified documents,” the agency said.
The agency issued the notice to “further raise awareness of the illegal production and sale of fraudulent COVID-19 negative test certificates” and asked law enforcement agencies “to share all relevant information on criminal activity related to false COVID-19 test documentation. . “