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A website offering fake sick notes for a fee could endanger people’s health and encourage fraud, AMA President Dr Rosanna Capolingua warned today.
The AMA says that an overseas company has set up an Australian section on their website that charges $40 for fake sick leave certificates containing a local GP’s name and practice.
“The AMA is deeply concerned if people are able to buy authentic-looking fake sick notes over the internet,” Dr Capolingua said.
“Patients may be tempted to use this site instead of visiting a GP, but when people are sick they need to see a doctor. Do not risk endangering your health. If you are not sick, and taking a “sickie”, then presenting a fake sick certificate is knowingly misleading your employer. The people selling you the fake certificate are acting fraudulently and you are risking your job by using that fake.”
“Using the names of real local GPs to issue fake sick leave certificates is a fraudulent practice,” she said.
“It assumes the identity of a doctor for the purpose of the creating the fake certificate. A medical certificate is a legal document and has significance. GPs work to strict rules when writing medical certificates – fake certificates could lead to baseless complaints being made about individual doctors to the local medical board. These fake certificates are more trouble than their perceived worth.”