Free vaccine provision prevents criminals from infiltrating deployment, police say | NHS

The rapid rollout of vaccines in the UK is protected from the threat of serious organized crime and corruption by the structure and principles of the NHS, according to senior police officers.

The National Crime Agency, which monitors any attempts by organized unions to take advantage of the covid vaccine program, said centralized NHS systems had helped protect it from attempts to infiltrate its supply chain.

But it was the NHS principle to provide free treatment for whatever was the most crucial factor in protecting the successful vaccine rollout so far, especially compared to countries that depended on private health care and were more vulnerable to fake vaccines and fraud.

“You can’t buy the vaccine and you can’t sell it, that from a clear public message point of view makes it easier,” said Ben Russell, deputy director of the National Center for Economic Crime of the NCA. “Plus, you know it’s real because it’s administered by the National Health Service and they won’t ask you for your bank details or show up at your house out of the blue.”

His comments coincide with the latest data from Action Fraud, which is overseen by the City of London Police, showing that there have been 580 reports of attempted vaccine fraud, but it appears to be attempts low-level opportunists to defraud the public rather than organized crime.

Recently, the government launched an information campaign reminding the public that the NHS would not ask for payment because “the vaccine is free”.

Figures from the City of London Police, which specialize in investigating fraud, also reveal they are aware of more than 8,200 phishing emails related to vaccines, when criminals try to trick users into they reveal personal data.

Concerns that transnational narcotics unions might attempt to use their supply chains to engage in the illicit distribution of covid vaccines have proven to be unfounded, Russell said.

In December, Interpol issued a global alert to global law enforcement warning them that organized crime networks can target coronavirus vaccines both physically and online.

The international police coordinating agency said the pandemic had caused “unprecedented opportunistic and predatory criminal behavior” and warned of a new wave of criminal activity “in connection with forgery, theft and illegal advertising of Covid-19 vaccines ”.