Officers at the Port of Philadelphia were conducting routine international parcel inspections, when they encountered an "obviously counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination card," on Jan. 8, officials said in a Jan. 14 release.
Inspectors noted the card's poor print quality, unclear logos of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), and uneven borders.
The envelope was being delivered from Bulgaria to an address in Stamford, Connecticut, officials said. The contents apparently were labeled as "documents."
“Coronavirus continues to pose a serious health and safety threat to American citizens, as do unscrupulous vendors who peddle counterfeit COVID vaccination cards and the unvaccinated people who buy them,” said Joseph Martella, Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Philadelphia.
“Customs and Border Protection officers are extremely skilled at detecting cleverly concealed contraband and we will continue to intercept dangerous and illicit products that could harm consumers, our economy, and our nation.”
CBP officers across the nation have seized more than 30,000 counterfeit COVID vaccination cards, officials said.
The Baltimore Field Office, which includes the Area Port of Philadelphia, has seized 1,520 fake COVID vaccination cards.
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