The international police organization INTERPOL warned in an “Orange Notice” today that criminals are already positioning take advantage of the recent announcements about COVID-19 vaccines to prey on the vulnerable.

“As governments are preparing to roll out vaccines, criminal organizations are planning to infiltrate or disrupt supply chains,” INTERPOL Secretary General Jurgen Stock is quoted as saying in the notice’s announcement.

The notice also warned that scammer could target consumers through fake websites and “false cures, which could pose a significant risk to their health, even their lives.”

“It is essential that law enforcement is as prepared as possible for what will be an onslaught of all types of criminal activity linked to the COVID-19 vaccine, which is why INTERPOL has issued this global warning,” Stock said.

The international body urged people to be careful when searching online for medical equipment or medicines, noting that thousands of websites associated with black market pharmacies contain malware.

Orange Notices, unlike INTERPOL’s better known Red Notices that ask member nations to find a person, are designed as general warnings about “potential threats posed by disguised weapons, parcel bombs and other dangerous objects or materials,” according to the organization’s website. The use of them first came into practice in 2004.

Prior to today’s Orange Notice, America’s premier law enforcement agency, the FBI, has warned for months about all sorts of criminal activity linked to the coronavirus pandemic. In April the bureau warned of vaccine scams specifically: “…[S]cammers are working hard to sell fake cures, treatments and vaccines. Ignore unsolicited offers for these fake procedures. Do not provide any personal information, including your financial information, Medicare or Medicaid number, or private health insurance information to anyone offering them.”

“Criminals are actively manipulating the COVID-19 pandemic to their advantage,” Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division Calvin Shivers said at the time. “We ask all Americans to remain vigilant to avoid falling victim to these schemes.”

PRIMARY SOURCE: Orange Notice Announcement (INTERPOL)

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