While the proliferation of 3D printing technology has imparted convenience, efficiency, and economical pricing to a whole range of products, the fact that it can also be misused on a large scale in counterfeiting activities gives industries across the world much to worry about.
The advent of 3D printing technology has provided a handy tool for fraudsters to reproduce security seals used to secure precious cargo in containers. Cargo theft using fake 3D-printed security seals has already been discovered by organized crime.
These fake security seals are being printed with matching identification numbers in order to replace the original ones and to appear as though cargo is still intact. An incident was reported in 2015 of a pharmaceutical company losing most of its cargo once the container was opened. Upon investigation, they’ve found the security seals to be counterfeits.
Shippers sending valuable cargo overseas are being advised to use new security seals which cannot be cloned. A range of other industries including luxury fashion, consumer electronics, and practically all kinds of manufacturers and retailers are at risk. The 3D printing process that created the fake seals can be carried out in as little as 10 minutes.
Security Seal Samples.
Solution & Applications
A definitive solution to the problem of fake security seals is found in the TrackMatriX® Lock security solution. This comprises laser-engraved QR codes embedded in security seals that can help validate the authenticity of the product in question. This makes it easy for anybody across the value chain to identify a genuine from a fake product.
TrackMatriX® Lock on Security Sea
This patented QR code technology contains both overt and covert security features that makes it impossible for counterfeiters to copy and also authenticate the security seals.
The patented secure tracking QR code technology is designed to protect against counterfeiting and forgery. Dynamic inspection strategies can be deployed using a dedicated inspection app or using the decryption module for the covert (secret) info reading. Offline verification is also possible.
One of the most effective ways of calling out fake 3D printed products is to embed them with NFC tags or QR codes that will help consumers validate their authenticity. Any product or component that does not come with the right code/tag would easily get identified as a fake.
Conclusion
The fact that fraudsters are now using the power of cutting edge technologies makes them all the more dangerous. The TrackMatriX® Lock technology can be used to fight counterfeit 3D-printed security seals and also protect critical supply chains.
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