Officeworks has taken steps to stop customers going in-store to print false vaccination certificates.

 

It is unclear which Sydney store had an issue with customers using Officeworks printers to print fake certificates but according to online site Reddit, a sign spotted at a Sydney store clearly reminds customers they are not allowed to print false vaccination certificates. 

 

The sign states: “In line with our Print and Copy terms and conditions, our team are unable to print unauthorised vaccination certificates. Thank you for understanding.” 

 

Software engineer Richard Nelson said digital versions of vaccination certificates would remain easy to fake until a digital signature was added, similar to what is being used for the European Union’s vaccine passports.

 

This technology brings up a QR code on the person’s phone, which is scanned and verified by a service called the EU Gateway. The Gateway checks only that the signature is correct and doesn’t store any information about a person’s vaccination status. The only party that has access to the vaccination status is the country that issued the certificate.

 

In October, NSW introduced a new law stopping people from using fake vaccine certificates.

 

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard signed off on the amendment to the public health order after concerns were raised about people procuring forged certificates.

 

Breaching the health order attracts a maximum penalty of imprisonment for six months and up to a $11,000 fine.

 

Officeworks brand power

 

Meantime, Officeworks has been named as the third “strongest brand” by marketing group Brand Finance.

 

The annual Brand Finance rankings are calculated based on perception of a company’s quality, value for money and customer service – with Bunnings scoring 88.5 out of 100,  Woolworths scoring 86.9 and Officeworks 86.5.

 

Similarly, Officeworks has become a household name for most Australians looking for office supplies while working from home, improving its BSI score by +6.3 points to reach 86.5 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA brand strength rating.