Fraudster concerns over fake Covid-19 vaccine passes

International fraudsters are selling fake Australian Covid certificates for as little as $120, claiming they are identical to the real ­certificates.

A sample of an Australian government Covid-19 digital vaccine certificate.

International fraudsters are selling fake Australian Covid certificates for as little as $120, claiming they are identical to the real ­certificates and that they will never reveal the identities of their clients.

One online counterfeiter told The Australian they had already fulfilled more than 200 orders for Australians keen to subvert the nation’s official vaccination database, and had fielded inquiries from at least 900 others.

The fraudsters guaranteed their fake certificates were so convincing and their security protocols so tight that “you’ll be the only one to know that you’ve not been vaccinated”.

Another online operation on a popular forum with almost half a million subscribers said they could  provide “100 per cent valid and authentic” vaccine cards and certificates for Australia.

The scammers also claimed they could arrange for doctors to enter false vaccination records into the Australian Immunisation Registry, the national database, which holds the records of all vaccinations in Australia.

“The doctors working with us are at the top of the game and so have access to all the medical database [sic] of all countries in Europe, America and part of Asia,” one said.

“Once your details are recorded and your certificate/cards is registered it shows and reflects in the medical database of your country that you have been fully vaccinated and when scanned or looked up your details shows [sic] clearly that you have been vaccinated.”

Elsewhere online, web tutorials claimed authentic Australian vaccination certificates, which can be stored in an iPhone Wallet or the Android equivalent, could also be easily manipulated to show any name and any vaccine within minutes using an app which costs $12.99 from the Apple App Store.

Robert Potter, who heads cybersecurity firm Internet 2.0, said the country needed to embrace blockchain technology to ensure Australia’s vaccine certificates were not compromised.

“If the Australian government used it they could create a non-reproducible signing authority,” he said.  “It would be the cryptographic equivalent of a hologram.

“We can come up with a foolproof system that only we can use, but we actually need a global system that everyone can use.”

South Korea, Colombia and the US have already begun exploring blockchain technology to verify vaccinations.

IBM has also developed a blockchain-based solution that automatically integrates with airline reservation system Amadeus – used by almost 500 airlines in the world.

Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said the Immunisation History Statement and the Covid-19 digital certificate have been designed to provide proof of immunisations received.

“The digital vaccination certificate in the Express Plus Medicare app contains enhanced anti-fraud features including an animated tick, a live clock, and a shimmering Coat of Arms,” he said. “Any fraudulent creation of a COVID-19 digital certificate does not mean our systems or personal data have been compromised.

“Where there are discrepancies … Services Australia will contact the provider to ensure accuracy of this information, and correct the record if required.”