The Covid-19 has damaged the tourism industry globally. Today, thanks to vaccination campaigns and the gradual lifting of restrictions, we can say that tourism professionals are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. In Europe, tourists will soon even be able to plan trips within the EU.
This will be possible thanks to the circulation of the European health pass. The creation of this certificate was decided by the Member States and MEPs. This pass, which will come into effect on 1is July 2021 will carry a QR code that will contain information indicating whether the traveler has been vaccinated, has passed a negative PCR test or is immune to Covid-19.
While this pass is not yet available, we know thanks at the Capital site that it is already the subject of forgery.
The widespread fake PCR tests
Before entering a foreign territory, travelers must now present a negative PCR test to the authorities. However, some people don’t have time to get tested before their trip or just don’t want to. This gave ideas to groups of individuals who decided to sell fake PCR tests.
As Julien Gentile, director of the border police at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Le Bourget, explains at the Parisian’s microphone, it is difficult to “To detect counterfeits except when they are a little rude. “ While the authorities were entitled to think that the implementation of this health pass would put an end to this business, we now learn that it is already being used in new scams.
Fake QR codes sold on Snapchat
The health pass is supposed to be tamper-proof due to the presence of its QR code. This is far from deterring con artists, however. As revealed to us by our colleagues from the Capital site, individuals are already offering false negative tests with a QR code on Snapchat.
These documents are sold for the sum of 60 euros on the social network. Scammers do provide buyers with a QR code after registering their personal information and receiving payment. However, it turns out that the QR code that counterfeiters send is smaller than that of the real health pass.
According to our sources, the code used is actually intended for interns in the laboratory. Remember that the use of false tests is punishable by law and can lead to up to three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros.
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