Fraud, airport delays spur move for secure COVID-19 test document

At one of the world’s busiest airports, immigration officials are uncovering fake COVID-19 test results daily by checking the required documentation for misplaced letters and errant vowels. “Normally the way this type of counterfeit is spotted is an obvious spelling error,” said Lucy Moreton, an official with the Immigration Services Union (ISU), which represents border officials at London’s Heathrow Airport. With global vaccination programs still in early stages, a “negative” COVID-19 test from a local lab is now often necessary for plane travel around the world. But there is no standard form, language or encryption technology for such a certificate. “It is almost impossible to tell whether it is fake or not except by going through a lengthy and almost impossible verification process,” said Vinoop Goel, a senior official at the IATA. Fraudulent test results have been found at airports in Montreal, Paris and Mexico.<br/>