MELBOURNE: A ban on unvaccinated Australians entering bars and restaurants nudged thousands to get jabbed - but it has also seen the rise of a thriving black market in fake COVID-19 vaccine certificates online.When Melbourne last month clambered out of 260-plus days of sporadic lockdowns, the allure of the city's vibrant social scene was too much to resist, even though she is unvaccinated.
Across the country, Google searches for fake certificates soared when rules for the non-vaccinated were announced in early October, surging again when they entered into force. The number of fakes in circulation is difficult to estimate, but one Telegram channel touting fraudulent Australian certificates has more than 64,000 members alone.
Despite the risk of up to 10 years in jail and fines topping US$7,400, some Australians have bought the fake certificates, or created their own homemade workarounds. But according to Hurley, there is a"law of diminishing returns" policing the black market, with forces needing to engage in the highly"labour intensive" job of"having dedicated police sitting at a desk, monitoring online".
All the more reason to close the doors to visitors from Australia to Singapore as their vaccination can no longer be counted upon as verified and true.