Europol warning about fake Covid-19 negative certs being targeted at flight passengers

INTELLIGENCE has been received by Europol alleging that an Irish organised crime gang are using a mobile app to manually falsify Covid-19 test results.

Europol made the revelation in a warning today about the sale of forged Covid-19 certificates to flight passengers.

A statement from the organisation said: “As long as travel restrictions remain in place due to the pandemic, it is very likely that criminals will seize the opportunity of producing and selling fake COVID-19 test certificates.” 

The statement highlighted a number of recent cases where fraudulent certificates were sold, including a forgery ring selling negative test results to passengers at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. In December, a person was nabbed by Spanish police for selling fake results for €40.

In relation to the Irish gang, Europol said it has received additional intelligence relating to the alleged use of a mobile application by the gang “which allows members of the organised crime group to manually falsify test results”.

The statement from Europol added: “Given the widespread technological means available, in the form of high-quality printers and different software, fraudsters are able to produce high-quality counterfeit, forged or fake documents.”