Police informed of Telegram group selling fake negative COVID tests to Uman pilgrims

Israeli cybersecurity company Check Point has informed the police of a Telegram group selling fake negative tests to pilgrims returning from Uman, Ukraine, Globes reports.

According to Check Point, the group “Covid vaccination certificates/Covid tests” has been operating since June and in recent weeks has been offering “Negative Covid tests for those returning from Uman” for NIS 100.

Check Point passed on the information to the police’s Lahav 433 fraud squad so that they can identify the operators of the group and take legal action against them, the report says.

Dozens of pilgrims infected with the coronavirus flew back to Israel from Uman last week using forged negative test results, as plans put in place to safeguard the annual pilgrimage to the gravesite of Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav appeared to fall into shambles.

There were concerns that there could be hundreds more such cases among the tens of thousands of pilgrims who traveled to Ukraine to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, which began last Monday evening and ended Wednesday night, with concerns it could kick off a renewed surge in infections, just as the country appeared to be turning the tide on a recent wave.