Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Telegram And Amazon Are Hosting Fake Vaccine Card Merchants

Telegram And Amazon Are Hosting Fake Vaccine Card Merchants

Fake vaccine card merchants are rampant on Telegram. Meanwhile, fake vaccine card listings continue to fall between the cracks on Amazon, despite a ban on them.

Messaging service Telegram is hosting channels peddling fake blank COVID-19 vaccine cards, immunization records, and fit-to-fly certificates, BuzzFeed News has found. These channels, ranging in size from 1,492 to at least 13,292 subscribers, are targeting people “who need the cards but [are] not willing to take the vaccines.”

“Avoid the Vaccine, Stay safe,” wrote one merchant in a channel they created with 5,773 subscribers. “If you need the Covid vaccine cards, write to us and we’ll get you one.”

“Watch out and stay away from the vaccine its poisonous,” wrote another in a channel they created with 13,273 subscribers. “Kindly pass out the message to those who are still blind out there, so many secrets are hidden from us. The minority ruling are trying to destroy mankind.”

An FBI public service announcement from March noted that it's illegal to buy or sell fake vaccination cards, per a US code that prohibits the creation, use, or distribution of fake government documents.

“By misrepresenting yourself as vaccinated when entering schools, mass transit, workplaces, gyms, or places of worship, you put yourself and others around you at risk of contracting COVID-19,” the FBI announcement says.

Telegram did not respond to requests for comment.









It’s not unusual for people to use Telegram to sell illegal goods. But selling fake American vaccination cards presents a unique risk, undermining ongoing efforts to keep a pandemic in check that has so far killed nearly 600,000 people in the US. It also hurts efforts by states and businesses that rely on accurate vaccine documentation as a condition of allowing access to certain locations and services — bars in New York City, for example, or certain international flights.

These bogus vaccine card accounts typically ask interested parties to contact the channel owner privately in order to purchase the cards and arrange shipment. It’s unclear how many purchases have been made, but some of these accounts have been active for months. For instance, “Covid19 Vaccines cards,” which has 8,587 members, has been around since April. Another group features several posts from customers who claim to have purchased fake vaccine cards.

”Thank you so much Dr philip we received the cards and my family is so happy right now,” wrote a user called mr Jones on May 30 to a group with 4,780 subscribers. “We have been duped so many times trying to get this and we had doubts about you too. We are sorry for that. We just wanna say thank you once more.”


At least one of these Telegram channels, which has 8,587 members, has previously been used to disseminate anti-vaccine disinformation — including memes about Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and vaccine injuries. “Get your cards now and keep your DNA unchanged,” wrote creator @drjg_covid.

Telegram isn’t the only platform hosting fake vaccine card merchants. As Motherboard first reported, they have been easy to come by on Etsy. Ads for similar cards and stickers, produced by custom merchandise company Redbubble and marketplace website Bonanza, continue to appear in Google Shopping. And searches for “blank vaccination card” on Amazon, which explicitly forbids selling "real or replica" COVID-19 vaccination record cards, were returning results for them alongside other vaccine-related products earlier today.




After publication, a Google spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that the Redbubble and Bonanza products were removed from Google Shopping search results.

"Early in 2020, we implemented a sensitive event policy for Covid-19, blocking most offers referencing the virus, to protect people from bad actors attempting to capitalize on it," the spokesperson said. "As an additional layer of protection, we also do not show Shopping offers on the vast majority of Search results related to Covid-19. We continue to actively track new trends and patterns of abuse, adapting our enforcement in real-time to stop fraudulent behavior. "

One Amazon listing for blank vaccine cards claimed they could be used for “quick entry” at airlines, and that people can “use and reuse for a health record keeper.” The manufacturer, a company called Snellspy with an address in China, claimed they are “Great for Teachers, Students, Nurses, Office Employees, Doctors, Government Official[s], Police, Volunteer[s] and More.” The listing disappeared shortly before this story was published, but the seller of Snellspy cards was fielding questions from curious buyers as recently as June 2. It’s unclear exactly how long the listing was up.

“We have proactive measures in place to prevent prohibited products from being listed and we continuously monitor our store,” an Amazon spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. “In this case, we have removed the items and taken action on the bad actors involved in bypassing our controls.”

If someone was thinking about buying a fake vaccination card, what might they also consider buying? Donald Trump–themed Christmas ornaments, according to Amazon’s “Buy it with” recommendation.





AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×