Quote:With the promise of a widely available COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, Europol, the European Union’s law-enforcement agency, has issued a warning about the rise of vaccine-related Dark Web activity.
The agency joins a chorus of security professionals that have concerns about widespread attacks on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
The warning comes after Europol discovered a Mexico-based operation pushing fake influenza vaccines on the cybercrime underground in October. It said it is likely that these same actors will see another opportunity with the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“The detection of a fake influenza vaccine confirms that criminals seize opportunities as soon as they present themselves,” the Europol warning read. “Owing to the pandemic, the demand for the influenza vaccine has been higher than usual and there risks being a shortage. Criminals have reacted quickly by producing counterfeit influenza vaccines. The same scenario is also likely to happen when COVID-19 vaccines do become available.”
It’s a golden opportunity for cybercriminals, who can use fake vaccine offers as bait.. Europol added that high demand for the vaccine and potential shortages will likely drive consumers online looking for alternatives, the warning added.
“Some dark web markets feature advertisements for fake COVID-19 vaccines,” according to Europol. “The number of offers is limited at this stage but will likely increase once a legitimate vaccine becomes available. Criminals advertise their fake vaccines using the brands of genuine pharmaceutical companies that are already in the final stages of testing.”
Read more: https://threatpost.com/europol-covid-19-...ft/161968/
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