Scammers Begin Selling Fake COVID-19 'Passports' In Denmark - Reports

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published April 08, 2021 | 08:14 PM

The Danish public health portal sundhed.dk, where citizens can apply for the newly introduced COVID-19 passes, has filed a report to the police concerning scam websites offering fake certificates, TV2 broadcaster stated on Thursday citing the portal's director, Morten Elbek Petersen

MURMANSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th April, 2021) The Danish public health portal sundhed.dk, where citizens can apply for the newly introduced COVID-19 passes, has filed a report to the police concerning scam websites offering fake certificates, TV2 broadcaster stated on Thursday citing the portal's director, Morten Elbek Petersen.

On Tuesday, Denmark became the first country in Europe to launch a COVID-19 "passport" scheme that would allow non-essential businesses to reopen to customers. The so-called "coronapas" can be obtained either in paper format or through the portal and its secure application MinSundhed. However, websites offering to issue fake COVID-19 passports or test certificates have started to emerge recently.

"We can always tell if a COVID-19 passport or test certificate is fake. When we notice that someone is manipulating the data, we immediately contact the police.

We have just informed the police about a website that instructs on how to forge COVID-19 passports," Petersen was cited as saying by the Norwegian broadcaster.

According to Petersen, there are certain design differences between original and fake passports, even though signatures and seals from legal certificates could be replicated on a number of fake documents, the news outlet said.

Punishment for this type of fraud has been toughened due to pandemic concerns.

Coronapas is available to those who have been fully vaccinated, has recently recovered from COVID-19, or tested negative over the previous 72 hours. It is required to enter a number of public places, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, from April 21 open terraces, and from May 6 restaurants, museums, theaters and cinemas.