Fake medical ID bracelets being flogged by impersonators could risk lives, doctor warns
Australians are being warned to watch out for fake medical ID bracelets which could thwart life-saving help during a crisis.
The bracelets are being flogged by sellers impersonating official MedicAlert products, which are jewellery with engravings and a link to important medical details, including alerting if a patient has diabetes.
MedicAlert director Dr Rodney Pearce told 9news.com.au the fraudulent devices don't have the official QR code which can be scanned for critical health data.
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Last year, QR codes were imprinted on medical ID tags like bracelets and necklaces in an Australian first. 9News
He said this could mean the difference between life and death for some wearers.
"What the QR code gives you is medically-validated, this information is life-saving, whereas the [fake products] are potentially misleading and may actually put someone's life at risk," Pearce said.
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"There's a whole lot of technical and specific information that needs to be available and it needs to be available instantly. The MedicAlert and the QR code gives that."
More than 140,000 Australians wear MedicAlert bracelets.
MedicAlert added QR codes to the bracelets and necklaces in an Australian-first last year.
Dr Rodney Pearce said the fake bracelets could be life-threatening for patients. Supplied
Pearce hasn't seen if there are working QR codes on the bogus products circulating the market, but said official MedicAlert jewellery is the only medical ID that has instant access to medical records.
He said there was an American phone number linked to the fake bracelets.
"We've just seen that fake ones will give you a phone number, it doesn't work," he said.
"We don't know whether they've got a secure medical site or what sort of medical information is going to be on there ... we don't know."
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Pearce advised anyone who believes they may have accidentally purchased a scam MedicAlert bracelet to check its validity with the company's customer service team.
Official MedicAlert products have a working QR code with medical information that has been checked and verified by doctors.
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