Quebec Is Investigating Fake Vaccine Passports & Fraudsters Could Face Criminal Charges

Quebec's anti-corruption agency (UPAC) and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) are currently investigating the production and use of fake vaccine passports throughout the province.

Minister of Public Security Geneviève Guilbault spoke on Radio-Canada's Tout Un Matin, revealing that the UPAC and SQ have 150 investigations in progress on cases of fraudulent vaccine passports. While she could not provide an exact number of false vaccine passports currently in circulation across Quebec, Guilbault stated that each file could potentially contain "several fakes or several people involved in fraudulent schemes."

Of the 150 investigations currently in progress, an estimated 30 are linked to internal corruption, the minister said.

When asked how a fake vaccine passport could be identified, Guilbault said that the UPAC and SQ are taking a number of criteria into account to evaluate the legitimacy of a vaccine passport, including two doses listed in a single day, incorrect intervals between both doses, and vaccines administered late at night or during hours in which vaccination clinics are not in operation.

Guilbault made it clear that the act of producing or using a fake vaccine passport can have serious consequences.

In a press release shared on Wednesday, the Unité Permanente Anticorruption issued a warning to "people who may be tempted to produce, traffic or use false vaccine passports."

The UPAC voiced the severity of consequences, stating that "people who commit these actions could violate several articles of the Criminal Code, including the production and use of false documents, breach of trust and corruption, as well as criminal offences under the Public Health Act."

Penalties could include fines and jail time, according to Guilbault.

This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.