The dangers of fake COVID-19 cures from the Dark Web

6 July 2018, Stuttgart, Germany: A cursor is placed upon the button reading "drugs" on a darknet webpage. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa (Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The dangers of the Dark Web Source: Getty images

Hundreds of coronavirus related medicines, personal protective equipment and even purported vaccines have been found on the dark web, according to new research. Experts are warning there has been a sharp increase in criminal activity, seeking to scam vulnerable people during the health crisis


The dark web is part of the internet that isn't visible to search engines and requires the use of a special browser.

 Daniel had experimented with synthetic drugs - but Mr Skelly says the unregulated market means so much CAN go wrong.

 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, new research has found a wide variety of coronavirus-related 'products' which claim to protect and even cure people. 

 Over the course of one day earlier this month... Australian National University researchers surveyed 20 dark net markets which revealed cyber criminals were peddling purported vaccines; re-purposed drugs such as the much hyped anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine; and range of personal protective equipment at hiked up prices.

 Detective Superintendent Matthew Craft from the Cyber-crime Unit at NSW Police says he has also noticed an uptick in COVID-19 related online scams.

Kerry Chant, the New South Wales Chief Health Officer is urging people to tread very carefully in taking medical treatment for coronavirus into their own hands.


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