There is an AP News story making the rounds about a devious little hooky-enabling product called The Excused Absence Network.
For about $25, students and employees can buy excuse notes that appear to come from doctors or hospitals. Other options include a fake jury summons or an authentic-looking funeral service program complete with comforting poems and a list of pallbearers.
Interesting that when I tried to take a look at the web site, I got a “Service Unavailable” message. You can still see it via the WayBack Machine, however. According to an article in the NJ Star-Ledger, there are dozens of other Web sites which offer variations on the fake absence note, ranging in price from $3 to $25.
Predictably, someone was bound to get caught, as was a NJ woman who got busted for using a fake doctor’s note obtained from The Excuse Network.
The AP reports that:
She was arrested this year after using one of the company’s notes to support her claim she was too injured to appear in traffic court for a speeding ticket. She was caught after court officials called the chiropractor listed and he told them he never heard of the woman.