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  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 2, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , medical privacy, PHI, ,   

    Fake Health Investigators Target You 

    By Greg Collier

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning about a new wave of scams where cybercriminals impersonate health fraud investigators. As detailed in a report from Bleeping Computer, these schemes are designed to trick both patients and healthcare providers into surrendering sensitive data, including medical and financial records.

    According to a recent advisory from the agency, fraudsters are posing as legitimate health insurers or members of investigative teams. Victims are contacted through emails or text messages crafted to appear authentic. The goal is to pressure individuals into sharing protected health information or personal financial details. In some cases, the messages claim the recipient must provide reimbursements for supposed overpayments or services not covered by insurance.

    The messages typically mimic the language and branding of trusted healthcare entities, making them difficult to distinguish from genuine communications. Once the information is obtained, it can be used for a range of criminal activities, including identity theft and insurance fraud.

    Federal agencies recommend taking caution with any unsolicited messages requesting personal or medical information. They advise verifying the authenticity of such communications by contacting the insurer directly. Security experts also emphasize the importance of strong passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication to protect against account breaches.

    The healthcare sector remains a frequent target of these attacks. In a separate notice, the Department of Health and Human Services highlighted how attackers are using social engineering to exploit IT help desks at healthcare organizations. By gaining internal access, they can reroute financial transactions through business email compromise tactics, often with devastating results.

    As impersonation scams evolve, public awareness and vigilance remain key defenses. Verifying communications and safeguarding personal data can help prevent falling victim to schemes that increasingly blur the line between real and fake.

     
  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 3, 2020 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , medical privacy,   

    Major pharmacy leaks customer data 

    Major pharmacy leaks customer data

    Out of all your personal information that could be potentially exposed, it’s probably your medical history that you would least want to be public knowledge. After all, your medical information is the most personal information you have. It’s so personal, in fact, that Congress passed a monumental law back in 1996 to better protect patient privacy. That law was the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, otherwise known as HIPAA. The government has been known to level heavy fines against medical providers when patient privacy has been. One of the nation’s leading pharmacies may now be getting ready to be on the receiving end of one of those record fines.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTHncn-5Vs%5D

    Walgreens recently announced that their mobile app had a flaw that could have potentially exposed customer’s names along with the medication they’re taking and other health-related information. According to Walgreens

    The bug allowed “a small percentage of impacted customers” to view one or more personal messages containing limited health-related info of other app users “between January 9, 2020, and January 15, 2020.”

    However, they say that no customers’ financial information has been released. That’s not to say that medical information can’t be used for nefarious purposes. In the past, medical information that was made public has been used to blackmail people.

    Walgreens is said to be sending letters to those affected in the breach but they have also been quiet on the number of customers who have been affected. This isn’t the first time Walgreens has run afoul of HIPAA. In 2013, they were fined $1.4 million when a pharmacist inappropriately shared a customer’s medical data. Imagine how much the fine could potentially be now with a nationwide breach.

    Unfortunately, there’s not much a patient can do once their medical information is out in the wild. At best, they can sue the medical provider for damages but once medical information falls into the wrong hands it’s out there for good.

     
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