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The Criminal Side Effects of Corona
A bored and unemployed populace, preoccupied authorities and interrupted international logistics make for an interesting cocktail.
Property crimes
According to a Europol report, the general number of burglaries in private residences is dropping because people are staying home.
However, criminals are finding creative new ways into homes. Europol warns for perpetrators impersonating medical staff or authorities, who provide Corona tests, information or hygienic materials. In the back, their accomplices will rob the house clean.
Another opportunity to burglars are vacated businesses, combined with the decreased likelihood of being spotted by passers-by. Europol has also received reports of trucks with medical equipment being stolen.
Counterfeit medical supplies
Criminal organizations are offering counterfeit medications and medical supplies for sale such as protective equipment, painkillers, antibiotics, fake anti-corona sprays and protective equipment. As part of an international sting operation in March 2020, authorities seized 34 000 counterfeit surgical masks and made 121 arrests.
Cybercrime
During a cyberattack, Brno University Hospital in the Czech Republic had to…
