Identity thieves: Thanks for the bypass
- TAGS:identity theft, scam
- IT TOPICS:Security
The latest twist in identity fraud involves stealing your identity in order to use your health insurance.
Jennifer Barrett, global privacy officer at Acxiom, says the scam is the newest trend in identity fraud. That it's growing fast should come as no surprise, as health care costs - and the ranks of the uninsured - continue to rise. (Acxiom provides services to help insurers verify the validity of claims.)
With this type of fraud it's typically your insurance company, not you, that takes the financial hit. But you still might want to keep an eye on your medical claims history. The reason: if medical scammers steal your identity you may suddenly have a medical history that isn't yours. Left undetected, that might put you at risk for misdiagnosis or improper treatment, Barrett says.
Your own doctor isn't going to be fooled. But as the world moves to consolidated online medical records, you might find yourself in an emergency room somewhere with doctors reading someone else's medical history as they try to diagnose your problem.
The risk is that "You have things attached to your medical history that are not yours and you're not treated properly... They [might] think you had a bypass a year ago when you didn't," Barrett says.
Free Insider Guide