COVID-19 Vaccine Scammers Find Victims Around the World
As COVID-19 spreads, scammers selling fake vaccines target governments in need.
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Criminal organizations and individuals claiming access to COVID-19 vaccines have contacted authorities in dozens of countries hoping they will sign illegitimate contracts for millions of dollars, reports the Wall Street Journal. Countries whose national, regional or tribal governments were approached include the Netherlands, Latvia, France, Israel, the Czech Republic, Austria, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Canada and Spain. Some of the governments were offered vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE, Johnson & Johnson as well as AstraZeneca PLC.
Investigators at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have identified between 50 and 75 scammers, businesses and brokers looking for prospective governments willing to buy. It couldn’t be determined if any offers have been successful, and the activity is believed to be happening in developing nations where COVID-19 vaccine supply remains limited. An unidentified government agency was offered 20 million Pfizer-BioNTech doses for $751 million. More than a dozen investigations by federal authorities are now under way into vaccine-contract fraud in the U.S. and overseas.
