[ad_1]
Interpol has issued a global alert to law enforcement agencies around the world warning them that organized crime networks may attempt to sell fake Covid-19 vaccines or steal real supplies.
The France-based global policing agency said on Wednesday it had issued an orange alert to police forces in its 194 member states warning them to prepare for vaccines to be targeted both physically and online.
He said the pandemic had already triggered “unprecedented opportunistic and predatory criminal behavior” and warned of a new wave of criminal activity “in relation to counterfeiting, theft and illegal advertising of Covid-19 vaccines.”
The agency called for close coordination between health regulators and law enforcement as the vaccines move closer to approval and distribution to ensure supply chain security and identify illicit websites selling counterfeits.
As governments prepare to implement mass vaccination programs, criminal gangs “plan to infiltrate or disrupt supply chains, and also attack the public through bogus websites and bogus cures that could pose a significant risk to their health, including their lives, “the Interpol secretary. general, Jürgen Stock said.
“It is essential that law enforcement agencies are as prepared as possible for what will be an avalanche of all manner of criminal activity related to the Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.
The agency said it is highly likely that criminal gangs will begin parallel production and distribution of “unauthorized and counterfeit” coronavirus test kits as international travel resumes and airlines and immigration authorities increasingly demand that the passengers produce a negative test result.
Interpol also warned the public to be especially careful when going online to search for medical equipment or drugs. He said that people face dangers not only from potentially deadly products, but also from cyber threats.
An analysis by its cybercrime unit of some 3,000 online pharmaceutical websites suspected of selling illicit products showed that more than 1,700 contained phishing or spam malware, the agency said.
“It is important to be vigilant, skeptical and confident, as deals that seem too good to be true tend to be,” the agency said.
