Immer mehr Deutsche suchen online nach Corona-Impfstoff

Most of the inquiries for “buy vaccine” come from Schleswig-Holstein.

The vaccines are distributed only to governments and cannot be purchased by private individuals. However, many people are eager to get their dose as soon as possible and are looking for vaccines that are sold under the counter. This behavior is also due to the fact that it is difficult for Germans to get a vaccination appointment – even if they are at the top of their priority list.

A real dream for scammers

“Whenever there is a high demand, fraudsters react very quickly. Unfortunately, those who try to get their vaccine under the counter as quickly as possible fall victim to fraud, ”says Daniel Markuson, digital privacy expert at NordVPN.

According Bleeping Computer earned 40 gangs consisting of cybercriminals in Europe US at least $ 6.5 million by pretending that it was in their pages to popular platforms for classifieds, marketplaces or delivery services. The Australian National University discovered 645 COVID-19 listings in 12 markets on the dark web in a single day.

People should get suspicious of any kind of advertisement or offer for vaccines that can be bought online. The money that can be lost here is the slightest problem – getting injected with a harmful substance is a far greater risk.

“First of all, be careful, trust official information and avoid anything that has black market resemblance. However, scammers have the option to go further than just offering their products on the dark web. They also send emails and advertise their products on social media. Don’t fall for false promises. If you receive a message offering vaccine, avoid clicking on similar domains that contain spelling errors. An example would be zusammengegenncorona.de ”, adds the expert for digital data protection at NordVPN .

What can you expect from online scammers in the near future?

They usually take advantage of fears or create a sense of urgency. As more and more people get vaccinated, the scammers will change their scams and try to take advantage of the fears associated with the side effects of the vaccine. Officials who receive their vaccination may be notified that they have received a potentially dangerous vaccine and should register for a "checkup" to ensure they do not develop any disease.