Covid-19: epidemic of false health passes in France
As of December 20, 2021, the French authorities have uncovered 182,000 false health passes.
AFP - PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
The French government said Monday, December 20 that some 182,000 false health passes have been generated in France since the establishment of the device last summer.
A figure reassessed upwards, while the previous estimate given on December 16 amounted to 110,000. In addition to presenting a health risk, a false pass is severely punished by law.
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400 investigations have been carried out
, and the latest assessment drawn up by the Ministry of the Interior is significant: 182,000
false health passes
have been uncovered so far in France.
Controls are intensifying.
About a hundred people have already been arrested, between members of trafficking networks and users.
Several operating modes have been identified: purchase of false certificates of vaccination against Covid-19 on the web, fraudulent use of a QR code assigned to a third party ... Police and gendarmes have stepped up their investigations on the internet.
Two million euros in profits for traffickers
According to AFP, a network dismantled in early December would have recovered the identifiers of pharmacists on the website of the National Order of Pharmacists.
Between 5,000 and 10,000 false health passes have thus been created.
Benefit for traffickers: around 2 million euros.
The authorities also track down health professionals or administrative agents who provide false passes.
Counterfeiters risk up to five years' imprisonment and a € 75,000 fine.
As part of the 400 ongoing investigations, 182,000 false health passes have been updated.
Thank you to our police and gendarmes!
Using, procuring or selling false health passes, in particular via social networks, is punishable by 5 years in prison and a fine of € 75,000.
https://t.co/TsQZYZPVTX
- Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) December 20, 2021
► Read also: Covid-19: the hiccups of the health pass for French people living abroad vaccinated
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