Fake coronavirus vaccine passports are being sold online cheaply in a fast-growing scam that has alarmed authorities as countries rely on the documents to revive travel and their economies, cyber security experts said.
From Iceland to Israel, countries have started to lift lockdown restrictions for people who can prove they have been vaccinated.
"People are trying to circumvent that by creating false documents, essentially putting the lives of others at risk," Beenu Arora, founder of cyber intelligence firm Cyble, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"We've seen hundreds of websites on the dark web where these documents are being sold ... at the price of peanuts."
The dark web is a part of the internet that lies beyond the reach of search engines, where users are largely anonymous and mainly pay with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
Fake vaccination papers can be bought for as little as $12, Mr Arora said.
He said the number of listings had sharply risen since they started appearing in late February.
Oded Vanunu of cyber-security company Check Point said researchers at the company had found many dark web advertisements offering documents purportedly issued in the US, Russia and other countries.
"There's a big demand for it," Mr Vanunu said.
Forgeries have also appeared on regular websites and e-commerce platforms, said Chad Anderson, a senior security researcher at online threat intelligence company DomainTools.
Last week, 45 attorneys general from the US signed a letter calling on the heads of Twitter, eBay and Shopify to stop their platforms being used to sell fraudulent Covid-19 vaccine cards.
"The false and deceptive marketing and sales of fake Covid vaccine cards threatens the health of our communities, slows progress in getting our residents protected from the virus, and are a violation of the laws of many states," the letter said.
E-commerce company eBay said it was taking significant measures to block or quickly remove items that made false health claims including vaccine cards.
Days earlier, the FBI urged people not to post photos of their vaccination cards on social media because the information could be used by scammers to forge documents.
Mr Anderson said forging paper documents had become "so easy".
"It's trivial, especially with the editing tools that we have today," he said.
Mr Vanunu said that to make forgery more difficult, vaccination cards should be digitally signed with encrypted keys using a QR code system similar to that adopted in Israel.
Once scanned, the codes would reveal vaccine information and the name of the holder, to be checked against identity documents.
But to work for international travel, such a system would require countries to share data, Mr Vanunu said.
China, Bahrain and a few other nations have already introduced vaccine passports, with South Korea and the EU announcing plans for digital documents.
But the concept has faced strong opposition in other countries, including Britain, where more than 70 members of Parliament described the idea as "divisive and discriminatory".
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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SPECS
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2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
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- 1917– 3
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- Joker – 2
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Tuesday results:
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Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
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Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
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Born: High Wycombe, England
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Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
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Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
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Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
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