Metropolitan Police arrested three people for using fake Covid-19 records to access computers in London NHS trusts.
Two separate Cyber Crime Unit investigations into fraud records led to the arrest of three men between 23 and 27, respectively.
After a staff member from another NHS trust saw suspicious vaccine records online, they reported it to Action Fraud.
Three men were arrested by the Metropolitan Police for creating fake Covid-19 vaccine records. (Pictured in NHS app
Helen Rance (detective superintendent), central Cyber Crime Team, stated: “It’s concerning that individuals might have fraudulently created Covid-19 vaccine records during a period when virus levels are rising.”
“The Trusts’ staff reported the concerns to us and we have now fully investigated the matter.
“I would like to assure the public that the integrity and security of the NHS systems has not been compromised from outside the NHS network.
Unauthorised computer access was committed and conspiracy to perpetrate fraud by misrepresentation were the charges against a 27-year old man and a 23 year-old man from Ilford.
Unrelatedly, a 36 year-old male, also from Ilford was taken into custody on suspicion of unauthorised access to computers and conspiring to commit fraud through misrepresentation.
After the arrests, 14 total devices were seized by police in two searches of residential addresses. The investigations into the incidents continue and three of them remain in custody.
After the arrests, 14 total devices were seized by police in two searches of residential addresses. Three men are still in custody as the investigations continue. File photo
This comes just days after six individuals, including NHS employees, were arrested in connection to an investigation into false vaccine certificates.
In October, police launched an investigation after the newspaper revealed that official records had been altered to indicate people had received two doses (or more) of Covid-19 vaccination when they were not.
At that time, a man was taken into custody. Five more people have been detained since.