Millions across the country will be taking lateral flows ahead of New Year’s Eve plans
Sharing your lateral flow test results online could land you in big trouble, as criminal gangs have been copying the codes from pictures and using them to sell fake results.
Anyone caught using or supplying a fake Covid pass could face a £10,000 fine.
According to Shahzad Ali, CEO at Get Licensed, fake Covid passes will compromise the safety of venues such as nightclubs, with millions set to descend on bars and nightclubs on Friday to see in the new year.
Ali warned people about the danger of posting your test results on social media, telling WalesOnline: “We have seen fake documentation for many years, for example, fake IDs have been a regular feature at nightclubs for a number of years.
“This is just a new complication that door supervisors will soon become used to facing. It was always inevitable that fake Covid passes would start to appear as soon as there were rumours of them being introduced.
“Whilst grossly unethical and potentially very dangerous, it is also illegal to use/supply/distribute fake Covid passes and could see you rack up a fine of £10,000 should you be caught.”
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He added that there is “obviously going to be a market for Covid passes” because of some people’s objection to them, so it is “extremely important that you look after your Covid pass.”
Ali concluded: “Our advice would be to avoid posting it on social media, don’t share the code from the lateral flow you have taken because others could register it as their test.
“Covid passes will potentially make door supervisors’ jobs much more difficult, especially when we consider the consequences of people who are especially forthcoming with their beliefs, it could make the job much more dangerous.”
With nightclubs still open in England for New Year’s Eve, many will be taking lateral flow tests before going out to make sure they don’t have Covid. Many venues will also require proof of vaccination or a negative lateral flow test taken 24 hours before.
But it’s important that you wait until the last minute to take your test because a negative lateral flow in the morning does not mean that you won’t be positive by the evening, as one doctor demonstrated this month.
