BOOM

Trending Searches

    Become A Member
    BOOM

    Trending News

      • Fact Check 
        • Fast Check
      • Law
      • World
      • Explainers
      • News
      • Decode
      • Health
      • Media Buddhi 
        • Digital Buddhi
        • Senior Citizens
        • Videos
      • Web Stories
      • Boom Money
      • Home-icon
        Home
      • Authors-icon
        Authors
      • Team-icon
        Team
      • Careers-icon
        Careers
      • Internship-icon
        Internship
      • Contact Us-icon
        Contact Us
      • Methodology-icon
        Methodology
      • Correction Policy-icon
        Correction Policy
      • Non-Partnership Policy-icon
        Non-Partnership Policy
      • Cookie Policy-icon
        Cookie Policy
      • Grievance Redressal-icon
        Grievance Redressal
      • Republishing Guidelines-icon
        Republishing Guidelines
      • Fact Check-icon
        Fact Check
      • Law-icon
        Law
      • World-icon
        World
      • Explainers-icon
        Explainers
      • News-icon
        News
      • Decode-icon
        Decode
      • Health-icon
        Health
      • Media Buddhi-icon
        Media Buddhi
      • Web Stories-icon
        Web Stories
      • Boom Money-icon
        Boom Money
      • Work Shop-icon
        Work Shop
      • Home
      • Health
      • Identity Theft On Cowin:...
      Health

      Identity Theft On Cowin: Citizen Complaints Rise On Social Media

      Several people have complained to the National Health Authority about receiving vaccine certificates of people they do not know on their registered mobile numbers

      By - Shachi Sutaria | 19 Nov 2021 12:29 PM GMT
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      • Print
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      • Print
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      • Print
    • Identity Theft On Cowin: Citizen Complaints Rise On Social Media

      24-year old Soumya Sethi, a resident of Thane, Mumbai was confused why she was receiving messages from the National Health Portal about the COVID-19 vaccine a month after she was fully vaccinated. On reading the message, she realised that her number was registered by a person in Tamil Nadu and she had received their vaccine certificate for the first dose.

      The product manager shared this message on social media and was surprised to know that many of her Instagram followers experienced the same ordeal. CoWin permits four people to register on one number. However, many people found that their numbers were misused and were registered for unidentified individuals from different parts of the country.

      Sethi was fully vaccinated on September 1, while she received the vaccine certificate on October 6. Sethi has shared the message, her vaccine certificate, as well as the vaccine certificate of the person from Tamil Nadu with BOOM. BOOM is only sharing the text message Sethi received.


      These are not the only glitches faced by users while using COWIN. BOOM looked for the CoWin fraud hashtag and found several instances of people sharing their experiences which varied from some not receiving OTPs for their vaccination, receiving messages saying they were already vaccinated when they were not, and receiving vaccine certificates for those who had lost their lives. The most prevalent "fraud" that people reported was their mobile numbers being misused for other people's vaccination.

      These issues have resulted in several people also questioning the Indian government's claim of having administered over 115 crore vaccine doses. Twitter users are trending a hashtag #CoWinfraud to highlight their problems.

      Unknown Registrations On Mobile Number.

      In March, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare specified that vaccination would only be possible after booking a slot on the CoWin portal. Even when it later permitted walk-in vaccinations, the ministry stated that the certificates will only be available after registration on CoWin.

      Post this, many people shared screenshots on Twitter of receiving certificates of people they did not know.

      A Twitter user who has chosen not to get vaccinated as he was already COVID positive shared that his number was used to register and vaccinate three people on the same day.

      @PMOIndia @pbhushan1 @MoHFW_INDIA@WHO
      Received sms from NHPSMS that I have been vaccinated with 3 different names in last 1 hour.
      P.S:- I have personally chosen NOT to vaccinate myself after being naturally Covid +ive and after seeing multiple Vaccine-induced Covid deaths. pic.twitter.com/jK2HQ7J4og

      — Vikalp Gupta (@VikalpGupta18) October 11, 2021

      BOOM asked Sethi (mentioned at the beginning of the story) if she could remove the extra person from Tamil Nadu. "We wrote to CoWin and they have an option to remove the person on the website. When I confirmed it, they removed the person."

      Sethi also added that she wanted to bring this to the notice of the people and also wants to know what happens to the people who received the vaccine but do not have the certificate to prove it.

      Missing OTPs

      Post registration, when the person goes to receive the vaccine on the allotted slot, they are supposed to receive a 4 digit code that they have to share with the administrator. This allows the administrator to validate and verify their identity.

      Also Read:100 Crore Doses Administered In India, But What Does It Mean?

      However, patients who walk-in aren't always asked to share this code. BOOM spoke to another Mumbai resident Sunita Bhoir who received her second dose as a walk-in.

      "My first dose was a paid one and I got a code. For the second one which was free and I walked in, I did not get any code for verification, " Bhoir shared.

      Certificate Without Receiving Dose

      Many Twitter users also reported receiving their vaccine certificates without having taken the dose, yet.

      Received message for my second dose "without actually getting the shot"
      What kind of a fraud is going on, is this the governments 'lordly' Covid vacination drive??#COVID19#indiavacinationdrive #COVISHIELD #IndiaFightsCorona #CoWIN @bashirmanzar @Farhat_naik_ @basharat1188 pic.twitter.com/ULo9GEP6jF

      — Ghazala Fatima (@GhazalaFatima) October 25, 2021

      Another Twitter user Free Wheeler is yet to take the second shot but since the person received the vaccination certificate, they have been using it for travelling as their work expects that from them.

      It's a frigging lie.. I got my second vaccination done msg despite not taking any.. now I am fully vaccinated even though I had just taken one dose in June.. UK did the right thing to not trust CoWin with so many errors and sometimes downright fraud

      — Free Wheeler (@RoadHound) October 22, 2021

      Fully Vaccinated Certificates For The Dead

      Another Twitter user brought a shocking incident to light when he shared that six months after his father died, his family received a fully vaccinated certificate for his father.

      @satishacharya @TheNewsBeak @Profdilipmandal @cmohry
      My father died 10 days after his 1st dose of vaccinationation. After 6 months of his death he's vaccinated with 2nd dose. Help me to send this vaccination certificate to Parlok. pic.twitter.com/weodQy2Ct0

      — Vinod Ahlawat (@VinodAhlawat19) October 16, 2021

      BOOM has reached out to the National Health Authority to understand how the numbers of certain citizens are being misused. We are yet to receive a reply and the story will be updated when we receive their response.

      Also Read:Explained: Har Ghar Dastak- India's Door To Door COVID Vaccine Campaign


      Read Full Article

      Do you always want to share the authentic news with your friends?

      Subscribed Successfully...
      Enter Valid Email Id

      Tags

      Cowin covid vaccine cowin fraud 
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      • Print
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      • Print
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      • Print
      Next Story
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Whatsapp
      • Telegram
      • Linkedin
      • Email
      Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
      Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker. Please reload after ad blocker is disabled.
      X
      X
      Or, Subscribe to receive latest news via email
      Subscribed Successfully...
      Copy HTMLHTML is copied!
      There's no data to copy!