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Date Published: 25/11/2021

ARCHIVED - Valencia black market traders cash in on counterfeit Covid passports

Leisure and hospitality sectors in the Valencia region call for measures to detect fake Covid certificates

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Valencia black market traders cash in on counterfeit Covid passports

As Covid passports look set to become mandatory to enter certain leisure and hospitality venues in Alicante and the rest of the Valencia region over the next couple of weeks, the police are warning of a black market for fake vaccine certificates.

Requests for Covid passports have doubled in the last week following Valencia President, Ximo Puig's announcement that the certificate is likely to be introduced from early next month.

And whilst the leisure and hospitality sector representatives are not against the anti-Covid measure, they are calling for it to be extended to shopping centres and football stadiums, and are demanding the government provide means to detect fake vaccination passports.

Black market traders are reportedly offering forged Covid passports for those who don't want to be vaccinated for between 50 and 250 euros, advertising on popular social networks.

Payments are often made in cryptocurrencies to complicate traceability.

Other profiles also offer falsified certificates to be able to move around different countries, from the UK to Ireland, the USA or Australia, displaying images of 'clients' holding the fake document. There are even groups of 'deniers' who give advice on how to contact forgers and which ones are the most reliable.

The regional Ministry of Health claims it has not received any complaints of Covid passport forgery, but has also added that, as yet, the certificate is not mandatory and as such, has not been used to a great extent.

But the Guardia Civil is warning that a lively trade online in the sale of fake Covid passports has been uncovered, adding that the falsification of a document issued by the public health department is forgery and carries a prison sentence of six months to three years.

In addition to the obvious risk of contagion, the leisure and hospitality sector is also concerned businesses may be held responsible for an outbreak at their premises caused by an unvaccinated person using a false Covid certificate.

When pushed on this issue, the regional Ministry of Health indicated that full details will be provided "when the regulation of the Covid passport is finalised".

It is not yet clear exactly which establishments will require vaccination certificates to gain entry, but Puig has repeated that it will be "in closed spaces where there is more possibility of contagion and where wearing a mask and distance is more complicated".

Image: Archive

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