An investigation coordinated by the cybercrime prosecutor’s office in Milan busted a number of online schemes selling fake European Union digital COVID-19 status certificates or purported vaccines, the Italian police confirmed on Saturday, as per Reuters. 

The police concluded that thousands of people were ready to pay for false certificates that would help them travel across the 27-nation bloc. 

Also read: Russia sets another COVID record as world battles Delta variant

Ten channels of encrypted messaging application Telegram linked to anonymous accounts were busted. These marketplaces were in the dark web. According to Reuters, the police confirmed that the sellers were trading in cryptocurrency. 

What is a European Union digital COVID-19 certificate?

In an effort to boost summer tourism, the EU launched a digital COVID-19 certificate. This certificate has a QR code, which indicates if a person is fully vaccinated or has recently recovered from a COVID-19 or tested negative.

Also Read: Explained | How Delta variant’s symptoms differ from other COVID strains

“When travelling, every Digital Green Certificate holder will have the same rights as citizens of the visited Member State who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered,” the EU Commission had explained the purpose of the certificate.

“About 250,000 users had registered, and a hundred tried to interact with the sellers,” said Gian Luca Berruti, head of the Milan tax police’s cyber-fraud unit.

Also Read: What causes blood clots after COVID vaccination? Expert answers

The fake sellers priced the certificate package from 110 to 130 euros ($130-155). The package also included a fake pass and purported vial of vaccine, Reuters reported. 

The police said that they had found several counterfeit COVID-19 certificates. But they cannot prove if the vaccine was fake or not. 

The certificates contained false identification data, a specially generated QR code and he batch number of a first and second dose of vaccine, Reuters added. 

“We want to make clear that anyone found with these fake certificates, including buyers, risks being prosecuted for offences punishable by up to six years in prison, such as fraud and using false documents,” Berruti said.