Criminals are turning to the online world to now sell counterfeit surgical face masks on the dark web to exploit the supply shortage resulting from the outbreak in China.

The face mask listings were detected by risk management company Digital Shadows on English-language marketplace Empire, which is known for selling illegal drugs and hacking equipment.

Listings show plain masks without the advanced respirators capable of filtering small virus particles, although it isn’t clear whether these images are legitimate.

One listing offers to sell boxes of 2,000 surgical face masks for $6,500 (£5,300) each, pricing an individual mask at $3.25 (£2.65).