Amazon is apparently selling counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards
Back in the good old days, obtaining fake documents at least required driving to Hoboken to have your older brother's sketchy friend sell you an unconvincing scan of a Florida driver's license for $100, so you could get into Continental under the fake name "Earl B. Howe." But in an era when it's one's proof of vaccination that is the new golden ticket to everything from getting into ballparks to scoring extra vacation days, it's apparently become a whole lot easier to get yourself a fake.
In fact, all you have to do is go on Amazon:
Olivia Little, a researcher at Media Matters, previously reported that Etsy has likewise struggled with sales of illegal, fake vaccination cards — including one particularly egregious case of a seller offering "'official' COVID-19 vaccination ID cards for $19.99," who'd even paid to promote the listing and made at least 34 sales. The New York Times reported that in general, scammers' efforts are "far from hidden, with Facebook pages named 'vax-cards' and eBay listings with 'blank vaccine cards' openly hawking the items."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The FBI has warned that fake vaccination cards are illegal, and lying about one's vaccination status could potentially put even fully vaccinated members of a community in danger. As CBS Tampa Bay writes based on a conversation with Harvard epidemiology and immunology professor Dr. Michael Mina, "for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, risks increase if more than one faker shows up."
"If there are too many people doing that, there are no safe places anymore," Mina said.
Little later reported that Amazon has now seemingly removed the listing.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?
Today's Big Question Multiple sources claim Russian anti-aircraft missile damaged passenger jet, leading to Christmas Day crash that killed at least 38
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine hints at end to 'hot war' with Russia in 2025
Talking Points Could the new year see an end to the worst European violence of the 21st Century?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What does the FDIC do?
In the Spotlight Deposit insurance builds confidence in the banking system
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Marty Makary: the medical contrarian who will lead the FDA
In the Spotlight What Johns Hopkins surgeon and commentator Marty Makary will bring to the FDA
By David Faris Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu one mutuation from human threat, study finds
Speed Read A Scripps Research Institute study found one genetic tweak of the virus could enable its spread among people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk
Speed Read The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Long Covid: study shows damage to brain's 'control centre'
The Explainer Research could help scientists understand long-term effects of Covid-19 as well as conditions such as MS and dementia
By The Week UK Published
-
FDA OKs new Covid vaccine, available soon
Speed read The CDC recommends the new booster to combat the widely-circulating KP.2 strain
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published