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A new network of 62,000 fake health passes has been dismantled between Lyon, Paris and Poitiers. Five people were arrested. How do these networks work?
A few months ago, a liberal nurse discovered, by consulting her professional health insurance account, that the latter had been hacked. “Between August and November, I vaccinated 15 people. Over this same period, there are 1,184 false health passes were made”, explains Juliette Parmentier. Hackers impersonated him to generate these fake passes, which they then resold. Upon discovering the fraud, the nurse immediately filed a complaint, for fear of no longer being able to practice. Two accomplices in the Lyon region (Rhône) were arrested.
Today, around 300,000 false vaccine passes are said to be circulating in France. On the Internet, offers, ranging from 150 to 300 euros, are multiplying. In a few clicks and against some personal information, a seller offers a pass for 250 euros. Currently, 400 investigations related to false pass trafficking are open. Sally, a 23-year-old woman, was arrested in early December: she admitted selling hundreds of fake passes and pocketing nearly 20,000 euros. “I found a YouTube video, and then I made it for people. I could make my minimum wage in a day“, she says. Her lawyer points to negligence on the part of Health Insurance. Vaccination fraud is punishable by three years in prison for buyers and five for sellers.