Gatineau man charged with selling fake vaccine passports in Ontario, Quebec

Ottawa police have charged a man from Gatineau, Que., with making and selling fake COVID-19 vaccine passports in both Ontario and Quebec.

The 27-year-oldwas arrested Monday and faces nine charges, includingforgery and laundering proceeds of a crime.

Police received a tip about the fakes in September, Det. Shaun Wahbehtold Radio-Canada.

"If you were a Quebec resident, he would sell you a fake Ontario vaccine certificate. If you were Ontarian, he would sell you a fake [Quebec] vaccination certificate," Wahbehalleged.

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The man allegedly created false documents for people who lived on one side of the Ontario-Quebec border and worked on the other, said Const. Martin Dompierre, media relations officer for Ottawa police.

That way, customers could say they were vaccinated in the province where they worked,provide the fake vaccine certificate to the province where they liveand get a real QR code, Dompierre said.

The ploy was possible, he said, because the twoneighbouring provinces were less stringent in verifying documents from one another than if someone was providing a vaccine certificate from Alberta or B.C.

Fake certificate 'puts everyone at risk'

Police are aware of one person in each province who purchased the false documents, according to Dompierre.The manwas allegedly charging $1,400 for the paperwork.

Wahbeh said police don't know how the man allegedly made the false documents, or how many people ultimately boughtthem, but they're still investigating.

"We are now actively investigating who may have purchased fake vaccine certificates. If we can identify them they will be charged criminally," he said.

"Buying a fake vaccine certificate puts everybody at risk, so we want to try and deter that."

The man was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court at a future date.