Interpol: COVID-19 Vaccines Could Be Targeted by Organized Crime Network

Interpol issued a global warning Wednesday that organized crime groups could target the upcoming coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination campaigns by peddling fake shots and stealing supplies, according to reports.

Headquartered is in France, the international police agency said it had alerted law enforcement in its 194 member countries about the possibility that organized crime networks will take advantage of the health crisis as vaccines are rolled out, according to Reuters.

“As governments are preparing to roll out vaccines, criminal organizations are planning to infiltrate or disrupt supply chains,” Interpol secretary-general Juergen Stock said, according to New York Post.

“Criminal networks will also be targeting unsuspecting members of the public via fake websites and false cures, which could pose a significant risk to their health, even their lives,” he added.

In July, Interpol had warned about the proliferation of fake coronavirus testing kits and other medical products as countries rushed to secure supplies during the outbreak, according to Agence France-Presse.

The agency’s cybercrime unit recently probed about 3,000 websites linked to online pharmacies selling illicit drugs and other medical supplies, of which 1,700 also used phishing techniques to try to dupe people into handing over personal data.

“It is important to be vigilant, be skeptical and be safe, as offers which appear too good to be true usually are not,” the agency said.

On the other hand, the 15th version of the G20 summit was held in Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on November 21.

Leaders of the major economies in the world held that summit for the first time via video technology, in light of the Corona crisis, which imposed new rules for life. They met for two days to discuss global financial, social, and economic issues as well as the repercussions of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

According to the French news agency, the work of the summit, which is usually an opportunity for bilateral dialogues between world leaders, this year was limited to brief sessions via the Internet on the most urgent global issues.