Just 15 minutes, a smartphone and zero dollars. That’s all The newspaper needed to forge documents that allowed us to shop yesterday in six businesses requiring the vaccine passport.
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“It’s a real joke. The antivaccines know this secret and can live as if nothing had happened. No need to spend hundreds of dollars, “guaranteed a source, who refuses to identify himself in the report for fear of reprisals.
The newspaper chose not to reveal the details of this ruse in order not to give ideas to the malicious people, but they were communicated to the authorities.
Warned of this, the government later confirmed that it would not hesitate to urge traders to tighten control at their doors.
The fraudulent method, which was first tested by our source, is amazingly simple.
In 15 minutes and without expert help, we created fake digital documents for free on our cell phone to access businesses requiring QR codes.
Photo Martin Alarie
At the SAQ, our representative presents her falsified vaccination passport, which will be accepted.
In total, The newspaper was able to successfully enter six out of nine businesses in Montreal requiring proof of vaccination, provided with a QR code and an identity document.
Last week, it was exposed that offenders tried to deceive businesses in a much more elaborate way by obtaining, with the complicity of an employee of the health network, a false vaccine passport. The UPAC pinned them.
Like a real
So we managed to shop at the SQDC, at Canadian Tire, at Winners at Walmart and at two SAQs.
Photo Pierre-Paul Poulin
Our journalist entering the Canadian Tire, from where he will come out with purchases a few minutes later.
Remember that the vaccine passport has been required for a few weeks in these first two establishments, and since Monday in supermarkets.
It’s hard to say how many people have already used this free trick, but it seems to be increasingly well known according to our information.
Photo Pierre-Paul Poulin
The Journal managed to shop at the SQDC with its false documents.
Moreover, two of the four SAQs visited by The Journal ofThey refused to let us in with our digital forged documents, demanding physical evidence instead.
“We need a physical ID, not a digital one. We no longer accept them, there have been too many frauds, it’s over,” admits the clerk, pointing to the exit door.
Salty fines
The newspaper reported to Minister Christian Dubé’s office the fraud accessible to unvaccinated Quebecers.
In addition to the QR code, the clerks should at all times demand to see the identity card, and not be satisfied with a digital version, insisted Marjaurie Côté-Boileau, press secretary to Minister Dubé.
Photo Francis Pilon
Once inside Winners, The Journal was able to walk the aisles with no problem.
“We will not hesitate to remind merchants that identity cards must be physical so that this rule is well known and applied,” specifies Ms. Côté-Boileau.
Photo Pierre-Paul Poulin
No one questioned our fake QR code at Walmart.
The latter maintains that people, but also merchants who contravene the measures related to the vaccine passport, are exposed to fines of up to $6,000.
” It’s incredible “
For the former Sûreté du Québec investigator, it was obvious that this situation was going to arise if merchants only demanded digital proof.
“People who use false documents, we are talking about assumption of person. At that point, it’s criminal and you go straight inside,” confirms Paul Laurier.
In response to our investigation, the SQDC said it was “surprised” by the situation and assures that it will “quickly reiterate the procedure to be applied”. Same story at the SAQ, which recognizes that it is not immune to fraud.
– With Camille Payant
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