Fake vaccine certificates for €150 found on Malta black market

Malta has been listed as one of the countries selling black market fake vaccine certificates, according to a study by Check Point Research (CPR).

The study found that the fake vaccine certificates market is becoming increasingly popular in efforts to bypass COVID-19 regulations.

According to CPR, in Malta vaccine certificates are going for €150, with the number of vendors increasing exponentially.

CPR said roughly 1,000 vendors on the popular encrypted messaging app Telegram on 10 August; that number ballooned to over 10,000 by 23 September.

CPR has been monitoring the black market related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

For many countries like Malta, a vaccine certificate is a requirement for entry without having to do quarantine.

Black market vaccine certificates are being sold in 29 countries as of September. Following US President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate announcement, a Centres for Disease Control (CDC) vaccine card in the US has risen from $100 to $200. 

Meanwhile, in Austria, a Telegram-bot has been designed to help people get around the rules by simply entering their details to receive a free vaccine certificate or negative PCR test.