FBI Warns Of Fake Vaccine Cards Being Sold In Illinois
When there's enough talk about disallowing people who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 access to airplanes, trains, buses, schools, universities, etc., it should come as no surprise that fake certificates are available for a price.
So when a major American city like Chicago is about to host Lollapalooza, one of the city's biggest summer events, and organizers are requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to get in, the market for fake vax certificates gets even bigger.
Knowing this, the FBI pointed out in a Facebook Live event last week that using a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to get in is illegal. As you might imagine, this isn't the first time that the FBI has spoken up about using fake vax information:
If you did not receive the vaccine, do not buy fake vaccine cards, do not make your own vaccine cards, and do not fill-in blank vaccination record cards with false information. By misrepresenting yourself as vaccinated when entering schools, mass transit, workplaces, gyms, or places of worship, you put yourself and others around you at risk of contracting COVID-19. Additionally, the unauthorized use of an official government agency's seal (such as HHS or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) is a crime, and may be punishable under Title 18 United States Code, Section 1017, and other applicable laws.
When discussing this in the office, one coworker said that she would have no idea where to even go to find a fake vaccine card. It's not like a guy steps out of an alley in downtown Rockford and opens his trench coat to reveal the inside of the coat covered in fake vax cards for passersby to purchase for a handful of cash.
The FBI says you don't need the guy in the alley, because listings for fraudulent cards have appeared on major online platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and eBay.