Two men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a scheme that sold over 2,000 fake COVID-19 vaccination passports, allowing unvaccinated individuals to circumvent pandemic regulations.
Waqas Hanif, 28, and Touqir Nasir, 31, were linked to the creation of more than 2,000 fraudulent records in 2021. The pair advertised the fake documents online, charging up to £150 for two doses of the vaccine. This allowed unvaccinated individuals to travel abroad or gather in groups, posing a risk to public health.
Hanif, who worked as a vaccination program care coordinator at Kingsway Health Centre in Luton, Bedfordshire, was found to be connected to 2,663 suspicious entries recorded at the facility. Investigators discovered that 1,875 of these entries were linked to IP addresses associated with Hanif's home. He had administrative rights to Pinnacle, the NHS system used for recording vaccinations.
Following his arrest in January 2022, NCA officers found Hanif in possession of NHS documents, £7,000 in cash, and an application form for a safe deposit center. A search of his safety deposit box revealed £136,405 in cash. Fingerprints were found on some of the banknotes, and approximately 250 images on his phone contained personal details of around 340 individuals for whom false vaccine records were generated.
Hanif admitted to creating the fake records, claiming he did so under duress from local criminals. He was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to offenses under the Fraud Act, Proceeds of Crime Act, and Computer Misuse Act.
Nasir utilized a bank account opened under the identity of Adam Parker, having changed his name by deed poll, to funnel tens of thousands of pounds into the scheme. Bank statements showed approximately £56,000 deposited into this account, with many deposits ranging from £100 to £400, believed to be payments for the fraudulent records. Investigators also found a £1,000 transfer from Nasir to Hanif, identified as payment for the records.
Nasir received a ten-month sentence, suspended for one year, and was ordered to comply with a six-month curfew. He had previously admitted to offenses under the Fraud Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Deputy Director Paul Foster of the National Cyber Crime Unit stated that the men had "cynically abused our healthcare system for financial gain." He added that the joint investigation with NHS England Counter Fraud Team helped prevent organized criminals from undermining the pandemic response and profiting from their actions.