More than 250 fake sick leave certificates in Luxembourg: who will be held responsible?
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In 2024, the CNS detected about 265 fake certificates of incapacity for work purchased online, affecting about 145 insured persons. This was reported by the Minister of Health, Martine Deprez, in a response to a parliamentary enquiry.
Some of the offenders provided several fake certificates purchased over the internet. So far, more than 100 cases have already resulted in fines and cancellation of certificates, while about 30 cases are still pending.
According to L'Essentiel, the CNS has introduced strict measures against fraudulent hospital certificates. All fake documents are cancelled and violators receive fines that depend on the duration of the fictitious sick leave.
If the duration of the sick leave does not exceed 3 days, the fine is 200 euros. If the sick leave is forged for more than 3 days, you will have to pay 500 euros. In case of a recurrence, regardless of the duration, the fine increases to 750 euros.
In addition to administrative measures, CNS filed complaints with the Public Prosecutor's Office in September 2024 and January 2025. The organisation is also in contact with foreign counterparts to identify the organisers of fraudulent schemes and block access to digital platforms offering such services.
To prevent further fraud, CNS is planning to introduce the QR code "GouvCheck" on the digital hospital certificates that doctors submit directly to CNS. This innovation will help guarantee the authenticity of the documents and reduce the risk of counterfeiting.
The health minister said that the problem of fake hospital certificates purchased online only appeared in 2024, so there are no statistics for previous years.
