Fake health pass: a trend in times of pandemic

The health pass is mandatory for access to public places and workplaces, and is becoming a daily necessity. Networks specialising in the creation of fake passes are emerging, creating a thriving market.

In a single day, French law enforcement agencies reported 192 483 fake health passes and issued 1 919 official reports for using someone else's pass.

The French parliament was due to vote on Tuesday 4 January 2022 on a law aimed at tightening the sanctions for possession and use of a false health pass to curb the problem. However, the discussion of the text has been suspended.

In a further highlight, during the first week of 2022, a 23-year-old woman was brought to justice for making and selling thousands of "real fake passes". She allegedly managed to hack into the health insurance website to do so.