How Darkode Market Made Me A greater Salesperson

[seancanfield685]

Vendors are cashing in on people desperate to leapfrog the line—or falsely certify they got the shot.Security researchers have experienced a spike in listings on dark web marketplaces in recent weeks. The sites are advertising sets from vaccine doses to falsified vaccine certifications and negative test results. Currently, more than 1,200 listings are offering a variety of vaccines, including Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sputnik, and Sinopharm.

Investigations by researchers at security firm Check Point have been monitoring the sites for Covid-19-related activity since January, and they report a three-fold escalation in such activity over the last three months. It’s unclear if the doses are legitimate, and even if they certainly were, there’s no guarantee that the vials have already been stored at the correct temperature, potentially rendering them useless.

Last week, Check Point researchers based in Israel attempted to purchase the Sinopharm vaccine from vendor, said Ekram Ahmed, a spokesperson for the company. “We tried to negotiate and purchase the Chinese vaccine through one of the vendors,” he told Ars. The team messaged the vendor, who directed them to continue the negotiations on Telegram. Once there, the seller provided reassurances that the vaccine doses were legitimate. The researchers sent $500 to a Bitcoin wallet, and darkode reborn while they’ve received a FedEx shipping label, they have yet to receive the shipment.

Dark web vendors are likely doing better business selling falsified vaccine cards and negative test results. “Lately, we’re seeing more vaccination certificates being offered” than vaccines, Ahmed said. “It’s probably a two-to-one ratio.”
With COVID-19 testing becoming more widespread, the price for negative test results is as low as $25. Vaccination cards are harder to come by and are available for more, around $200. These certificates are becoming passports of sorts, allowing people a freedom of movement they haven’t enjoyed in months. The European Union is in the process of fabricating a “digital green certificate” which they hope to roll out by June to allow its citizens and residents traveling across borders. In the US, proof of vaccination could grant people usage of certain venues, and employers may require it of their staff to return to the workplace.

The researchers have alerted Europol to the listing and are contacting others today.the Check Point spokesperson, stated that the sellers they contacted on dark web marketplaces were hoping to set up long-term relationships making use of their customers. The prospective market, he explained, “are folks on the ground, folks who are looking to spread and sell at the local level in bulk.”

[Author]

Posts