German Man Caught Selling Forged COVID-19 Vaccination Cards After Getting 90 Shots Himself

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 03 April 2022, 01:04 pm

A 60-year-old man from Germany was arrested after he was caught selling forged vaccination cards with real vaccine batch numbers.

The man was allegedly getting vaccinated against COVID-19 multiple times so he could sell the vaccination cards that he got to those who do not want to get vaccinated themselves.

German Man Caught Forging Vaccination Cards

The man from the eastern German city of Magdeburg is said to have received a total of 90 shots against COVID-19 at different vaccination centers in the eastern state of Saxony for months, according to ABC News.

The man, whose name was not released due to Germany's privacy rules, was caught by the criminal police earlier this month.

The suspect was not detained, but he is currently under investigation for unauthorized issuance of vaccination cards and document forgery.

Also Read: Apple Health, Wallet: How to Add COVID Vaccination Cards on iPhone Apps for Digital Integration

German authorities caught the man at a vaccination center in Ellenburg in Saxony when he shoed up for a COVID-19 shot for the second day in a row. The police confiscated dozens of blank vaccination cards from the suspect and began criminal proceedings.

Germany's medical professionals did not reveal what 90 shots of COVID-19 vaccines would do to the body, especially since the shots were from different brands.

German police have conducted several raids in connection with the forgery of vaccination passports in the past few months.

Many COVID-19 deniers refuse to get vaccinated in Germany, but they still want to have the coveted COVID-19 passports that allow them to enjoy public life and freedom to enter venues like theaters, restaurants, and swimming pools, or workplaces.

Nurses Made $1.5 in Selling Fake Cards

Earlier this year, nurses from Long Island, New York, were arrested and were accused of making more than $1.5 million in selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.

The suspects were Julie DeVuono, the owner of Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare, and employees Brooke Hogan and Marissa Urraro were accused of handing out COVID-19 vaccination cards and charging $220 for adults and $85 for children.

The prosecutors stated that Hogan was a receptionist at the facility, but since Urraro is a licensed practical nurse and DeVuono is a nurse practitioner, the two of them were able to enter false information into the immunization database of New York.

CBS New York reported that the business owners near the facility suspected that something illegal was happening when they noticed the number of people going in and out of the building.

According to USA Today, the scheme was discovered when an undercover detective was given a vaccine card even though he did not get a vaccine.

The police searched DeVuono's home and revealed that they found $900,000 in cash and a ledger showing more than $1.5 million in profits dating back to November 2021.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said that he hopes this sends a message to others who are considering cheating the system that they will eventually get caught and that the authorities will enforce the law to the fullest extent.

Commissioner Harrison also criticized the nurses for their actions. He said that the nurses should understand the importance of legitimate vaccination cards as everyone should work together to protect public health.

In 2021, Facebook and eBay reported a sudden increase in fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.

In the same year, experts warned the public to prevent posting their COVID-19 vaccination cards online.