Facebook, Instagram & Telegram Are Go-To Sites to Find Illegal Vaccine Cards, Digital Citizens Alliance and CSW Investigation Finds

Bad actors are using Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram to peddle illegal COVID-19 vaccination cards, a joint investigation by the Digital Citizens Alliance (Digital Citizens) and Coalition for a Safer Web (CSW) has found. The organizations uncovered hundreds of posts from sellers offering illicit cards, many of which contained lot and store numbers that sellers claim have a better chance to deceive authorities.

Most troubling is that the illicit vaccination cards have remained on Facebook, Facebook-owned Instagram, and Telegram a week after the companies were alerted to their existence.

"Too often, platforms rely on the public to alert them when illegal or dangerous activities appear on their sites. But now, even when they've been alerted, they haven't taken steps to remove them," said Tom Galvin, the executive director of the Digital Citizens Alliance. "Selling these cards is a crime. Buying these cards is a crime. If these platforms want our trust, it will take more than a name change. It requires responsible behavior."

The Internet safety organizations posted images from two Facebook accounts, four Instagram accounts, and six Telegram accounts in the report exposing the sales. As of October 20, all those pages and dozens of other posts not shared in the research remain accessible.

"The American people endure a pandemic made worse by U.S. and foreign criminals who prey upon the public via social media platforms to sell counterfeit vaccination cards and hack pharmacy websites to register these forged cards," said CSW President Mark Ginsberg. "Our report reveals the criminality of the enterprise and the failure of Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms to protect the safety of Americans."

"This is the fourth report our organizations have done since March of 2020, on the platforms during the COVID crisis – and we showed fake vaccines for sale as well as ads for facemasks of questionable quality for sale. When does it stop?" asked CSW's Eric Feinberg, the lead investigator on this research. "The misinformation is horrible and needs to stop, but someone should ask the platforms how much money they've made from illegal and/or illicit COVID-19 related commerce? If they've made one dollar, it's one dollar too much."

Digital Citizens and CSW will share links to the posts found online upon request. Additionally, Digital Citizens is sending letters to federal regulators and pharmacies and stores that were apparently victims when bad actors shared lot and store numbers in online posts.

About Digital Citizens Alliance

The Digital Citizens Alliance is a nonprofit, 501(c)(6) organization that is a consumer-oriented coalition focused on educating the public and policymakers on the threats that consumers face on the Internet. Digital Citizens wants to create a dialogue on the importance for Internet stakeholders—individuals, government, and industry—to make the Web a safer place. Based in Washington, DC, the Digital Citizens Alliance counts among its supporters: private citizens, the health, pharmaceutical and creative industries as well as online safety experts and other communities focused on Internet safety. Visit us at digitalcitizensalliance.org

About The Coalition for a Safer Web

The Coalition for a Safer Web, a cyber counter terrorism and anti-extremism non-profit organization whose mission is to prevent social media platforms from serving as pathways for extremists and terrorists to plot, incite, and execute domestic and foreign acts of violence. CSW currently advises Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Council on social media-based extremist incitement and operational planning, as well as private industry and civil society organizations. Visit us at coalitionsw.org.

SOURCE Digital Citizens Alliance