The Parallel Criminal Pandemic Created by COVID-19

摘要

The offenses were not new; it was the speed with which criminals began to exploit the vulnerability of people and institutions both off- and online that was extraordinary. As early as March 2020, an operation coordinated by INTERPOL across 90 countries resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of counterfeit and substandard masks, "corona sprays," and "corona packages" as well as some $14 million (USD) worth of potentially dangerous Pharmaceuticals. In April 2020, INTERPOL helped uncover a sophisticated multimillion-dollar fraud scheme using compromised emails, advance-payment fraud, and money laundering as countries scrambled to obtain personal protective equipment in the face of global shortages.