Will you get vaccinated for COVID-19? Get vaccinated or not, it’s up to you to decide. What is likely not for you to decide is the fact that counterfeiters are going to make a profit benefiting from the COVID-19 pandemic during 2021.
We have already seen counterfeiters make a profit from the COVID-19 pandemic. Face masks, test kits, protective gloves, fake vaccines, miracle cures, etc. Why has COVID-19 been so profitable for counterfeiters? Since all COVID-19 related items are facing a huge demand across the world, it’s rather easy to tap into the “game” and deliver counterfeit products with high price tags and convincing appearances.
The same paradigm will continue with COVID-19 vaccines. Unfortunately, demand being so high that supply cannot satisfy the need for quite some time, it might take years for some to get their hands on the vaccine. Some people will purchase vaccines from a source that promises fast delivery, some from a source that promises cheap prices. This opens a profitable and easy way for the counterfeiters to step in. Counterfeiters are getting quicker, smarter, and are challenging the traditional protection mechanisms every day. Hence a new type of protection agility is required in the market to fight back and react faster to market changes. As with traditional medicines, despite all the protection mechanisms, there, unfortunately, are still ways to get into the distribution chain.
To fight back, on top of the traditional protection mechanisms we must adopt new ways of engaging and tracking counterfeits. We offer a solution that can be used to identify counterfeits, globally. We must provide a solution for the consumer to validate what they have purchased. Artificial intelligence provides a next-generation product protection method, a fast (real-time) tool against counterfeits. Using AI not only to detect counterfeits but also to track and trace them is the way of the future. With the latest AI technology, nothing needs to be added to the product or product package, as this is completely non-additive. This offers great savings for the brand and cuts out all the hassle codes and invisible inks introduce.
We have recently seen a lot of online pharmacies taken down due to them selling counterfeit medicines. Unfortunately, it’s relatively fast to set up a new online pharmacy. Getting closer to the source of the problem and removing physical counterfeit goods from the distribution chain is the ultimate cure.