Pfizer confirms fake COVID vaccines found in Mexico, Poland — with some containing anti-wrinkle treatment
Criminals around the world are creating fake versions of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, selling them for as much as $1,000 a dose and using anti-wrinkle treatment instead of the real shots, according to the New York-based pharmaceutical giant.
The company recently tested a number of vials seized during separate investigations in Mexico and Poland and learned the substance inside them was bogus, Pfizer told ABC News.
“We are cognizant that in this type of environment — fueled by the ease and convenience of e-commerce and anonymity afforded by the Internet— there will be an increase in the prevalence of fraud, counterfeit and other illicit activity as it relates to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19,” a company spokesperson told ABC News.
Six people were reportedly detained during the operation. Pfizer later tested the liquid using microscopic tools and special light.
In Poland, an unknown number of vials was found in a man’s apartment with a label indicating they contained the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. The liquid was also fake and contained what Pfizer suspects was hyaluronic acid, a skin-care substance used to fight wrinkles.
Polish officials said they don’t believe anyone received a fake shot from the suspect, who was reportedly charged with fraud.
The findings come as authorities around the world warn consumers and law enforcement agencies about a rapid increase of fake vaccine rings as countries rush to inoculate its people.
Man ambushes National Guard soldiers transporting COVID vaccines, holds them at gunpoint: police
Police in China and South Africa seized thousands of counterfeit COVID-19 shots just weeks ago, with Chinese authorities dismantling a network of dozens of criminals who had set up a manufacturing facility to produce the fake vaccines, Interpol said in an alert last month.
“Everybody on the planet needs it. Many are desperate for it,” Lev Kubiak, Pfizer’s world head of security, told The Wall Street Journal. “We have a very limited supply, a supply that will increase as we ramp up and other companies enter the vaccine space. In the interim, there is a perfect opportunity for criminals.”
