Vendors are cashing in on people desperate to leapfrog the line—or falsely certify that they got the shot.Security researchers have experienced a spike in listings on dark web marketplaces in recent weeks. The sites are advertising everything from vaccine doses to falsified vaccine certifications and negative test results. Currently, more than 1,200 listings are offering a number of vaccines, including Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sputnik, and Sinopharm.

Investigations by researchers at security firm Check Point have already been monitoring the sites for Covid-19-related activity since January, and they report a three-fold increase in such activity during the last three months. It’s unclear if the doses are legitimate, and even when these were, there’s no guarantee that the vials have been stored at the correct temperature, potentially rendering them useless.

Last week, Check Point researchers situated in Israel attempted to purchase the Sinopharm vaccine in one vendor, said Ekram Ahmed, a spokesperson for the company. “We tried to negotiate and buy the Chinese vaccine through one of the vendors,” he told Ars. The team messaged the seller, who directed them to continue the negotiations on Telegram. Once there, the vendor provided reassurances that the vaccine doses were legitimate. The researchers sent $500 to a Bitcoin wallet, and while they’ve received a FedEx shipping label, they’ve yet to receive the shipment.

Dark web vendors are probably doing better business selling falsified vaccine cards and negative test results. “Lately, we’re seeing more vaccination certificates being offered” than vaccines, Ahmed said. “It’s probably a two-to-one ratio.”
With COVID-19 testing becoming more widespread, the purchase price for negative test results is as little as $25. Vaccination cards are harder to come by and Darkode Reborn are selling for more, around $200. These certificates are becoming passports of sorts, allowing people a freedom of movement they haven’t enjoyed in months. The European Union is in the process of making a “digital green certificate” that they desire to roll out by June allowing its citizens and residents traveling across borders. In the US, evidence of vaccination could grant people access to certain venues, and employers may require it of their employees to return to the workplace.

The researchers have alerted Europol to the listing and are contacting others today.the Check Point spokesperson, stated that the sellers they contacted on dark web marketplaces were hoping to create long-term relationships making use of their customers. The prospective market, he said, “are folks on the floor, individuals who are trying to spread and sell at the local level in bulk.”