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Protective masks are extremely popular in the crown crisis. This is used by scammers who want to charge for counterfeit and inferior products. Now the European police Europol has warned the EU countries against this scam. According to SPIEGEL information, a confidential report to the police authorities of each country talks about criminal gangs that, due to the great demand for protection materials, perceive a quick treatment and offer ineffective cheap products in government agencies and clinics.
According to SPIEGEL information, the German authorities have also experienced an increase in the number of crimes related to the crown crisis. “In the case of fraud, fear of the corona virus is exploited in various ways,” says a confidential note from the Federal Interior Ministry.
Consequently, the Federal Office of Criminal Police recorded that “more and more counterfeit medicines and medical products are being offered on the Internet, such as protective masks and hand sanitizers against Covid-19, and alleged evidence of domestic use.” Additionally, theft of medical device deposits is on the rise.
Police in Frankfurt also reported “the emergence of a black market for protective equipment,” in which the material, such as on the stock exchange, would be auctioned on demand. Due to the appearance of organized gangs, authorities ordered two weeks ago that the federal police had to monitor the large-scale transport of masks.
Europol has been warning for weeks that fake face masks are circulating. The European Police Department is assuming that it will increase the sale of counterfeit or non-compliant masks. The background is the mask requirement, which many federal states or EU countries are now introducing. It leads to increased demand (an overview of the mask requirement in the federal states can be found here).
Europol has prepared a detailed report on the phenomenon. “International criminal groups involved in the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products have once again proven to be highly adaptable,” he says.
Consequently, criminal groups were able to quickly adapt new products, such as masks, suspected crown tests, or anti-malaria products, to the growing demand. According to the police authority, most of the counterfeit products would not be offered on Darknet, but on the easily accessible Internet.
The authority cites a French police intervention as examples of successful police work. He ensured that websites offering coronavirus testing had to be online and that the results were promised in two minutes. An anti-fraud unit in Romania confiscated 1,900 masks destined for hospitals. The masks, apparently manufactured by a company in Brazil, do not meet the necessary standards, he said.
Europol cautions that if there is a coronavirus vaccine, fraud may increase again. “This is very likely to trigger the next wave of counterfeit vaccines,” the report said. Belgian Europol director Catherine De Bolle said in late March: “Such criminal activities during a health crisis are particularly dangerous and can endanger human life.”
The federal government hopes to alleviate the mask shortage with several large transports from China. Since April 23, according to SPIEGEL information, three giant Antonov military transporters, normally used for NATO military equipment, arrive in Germany every other day with deliveries of masks. There are around 15 million protective masks and other medical supplies on board.
