The SSU is countering systemic threats to the health care system of Ukraine. This week, the SSU exposed two schemes of faking international COVID-19 vaccination certificates in Cherkasy region and Rivne.

Cherkasy region

For over a year, family doctors at one of the region’s health care centres made up to 100 fake entries on vaccinations in the eHealth system every month. Their total proceeds amount to almost UAH 2.5 mln (USD 88,000).

The scheme was organized by a head nurse of a town health care centre, who involved several nurses and doctors in the fraud.

The group found ‘clients’ among patients who had reservations about vaccination. They were offered a simple solution: to pay UAH 2,000 (USD 70) and obtain a certificate bypassing the vaccination itself.

During the searches at the suspects’ workplace, the law enforcement found and seized:

• logs of vaccinations and daily vaccination reports;
• records with lists of ‘clients’ for fake vaccination;
• computers and mobile phones with evidence of illegal activity;
• cash, apparently received in a criminal way.

The investigators are preparing notices of suspicion. The investigation is ongoing.

Rivne

In Rivne, the scheme of faking vaccination certificates was organized by a family doctor of one of the outpatient clinics in the region. Every day, the medic issued from 5 to 10 vaccination certificates without actual injection of vaccine. This enabled the fraudster to make UAH 500,000 (USD 18,000) per month.

To find ‘clients’ the doctor involved an acquaintance. His accomplice worked at the railway, which allowed him to arrange a constant flow of people wishing to obtain a fake vaccination certificate.

The organizer paid his ‘colleague’ 25% from each transaction. The price for a fake was from UAH 1400 to 2000 (USD 50 to 70).

The law enforcement detained the doctor in his office when he received payment for a false certificate.

During the searches at the doctor’s workplace and at the addresses of accomplices, the law enforcement seized:

• computers with evidence of illegal activity;
• records with lists of persons who wished to obtain a forged certificate;
• prepared paper vaccination certificates and cash, which was apparently obtained illegally.

The doctor has been notified of suspicion of crimes under Article 354.4 (bribery), Article 358.2 (forgery of documents, seals, stamps) and Article 362.3 (unauthorized actions with information processed in computers) of the CCU.

The SSU Offices in Rivne and Cherkasy regions carried out the operations together with the National Police investigators under the supervision of Rivne and Cherkasy Region Prosecutor’s Offices.

The SSU reminds that faking documents and using such, including fake COVID test results and vaccination certificates, is an offence under the Administrative and Criminal Codes of Ukraine.