Vaccines are still scarce, and many people are still waiting for their vaccination date. Against the backdrop of the upcoming holiday season and the easing of restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals, it is not surprising that counterfeit vaccination passports are increasingly appearing on the internet. The authorities are now taking action against counterfeiters. The Cologne detective force has formed the ‘Stamp’ investigation group for this purpose – and proceedings in the double-digit range have already been initiated at the State Office of Criminal Investigations (LKA) in Munich. However, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) expects a significantly higher number of unreported cases in counterfeiting attempts, and an increasing trend.

Not only providers but also buyers of falsified documents are facing severe penalties, including imprisonment in some cases. However, businesses and institutions can protect consumers at an early stage by implementing reliable anti-counterfeiting measures against the falsification of physical and digital documents.