A record number of fake drugstores were taken offline in a massive Interpol-led operation involving authorities from 92 countries, the international crime-fighting body said Tuesday.
“As the pandemic forced more people to move their lives online, criminals were quick to target these new ‘customers’,” Interpol chief Jurgen Stock said.
The operation targeted websites and online market places that sought to cash in on the surge in demand for personal protection and hygiene products, deleting over 113,000 links, the highest number since 2008.
More than half of all medical devices seized during a week of action in May were fake and unauthorized COVID-19 testing kits. Interpol said 277 people were arrested worldwide and potentially dangerous drugs worth more than $23 million were confiscated.
