New Scam-Health care

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

"Let's be careful out there."

Sgt. Phil Esterhaus

 

FBI warns scammers are posing as fraud investigators to steal sensitive healthcare info — what you need to know | Tom's Guide

[Pat Riot]

I deal with 2 major medical companies here in WV. Mon Health and WVU Medicine. 
Both of these medical firms have text and email services and they have Apps with very good security. 
Unfortunately both have had scammers pose as Collections  trying to get money for nothing. 
Neither one of these companies asks for money through text, email or Apps. They only bill through the mail and they may call if there is an issue in billing question. 
Medical companies in CA and OR did the same. 
If a fraud investigator contacts me they can send me a letter asking their questions. 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

A timely warning, thank you for this!

[Calico Jack]

Like I tell everyone - follow the ZERO trust policy.

 

Companies will rarely ever contact you on their own and only through the official channels you agreed to be contacted.

 

If the grammar feels off, don’t trust it.

 

If the spelling is off, don’t trust it.

 

If the formatting is off, don’t trust it.

 

Check the sender address, if it looks off, don’t trust it.

 

If it makes you feel like you need to ACT NOW, don’t trust it.

 

If you aren’t sure, don’t trust it. 
 

Get a second set of eyes, or a third set if needed, but assume foul play.

 

The days of brute force attacks(spamming login and password combinations)  are never over, but the play these days is “social engineering” or “social hacking”. It is far easier to trick a person than it is to trick a computer.

 

When in doubt, don’t try to figure it out yourself. Do not use the contact information provided in or by the suspicious party. Find the contact information you should already have through your card provider (back of card), banking institution(statement or card), insurance institution (statement or card) or the doctor they may be pretending to be.

 

Do not click links. Do not enter any information, no matter how trivial it may seem. Sometimes it’s not about getting all the way into your stuff, it’s about confirming you even have stuff to get into. 
 

There are a handful of us on this forum alone who work in IT or security related fields - or even just a field that deals with sensitive data. We see this way too much. 

 

 

[watab kid]

can we just start shooting these scammers where we find them pleases ? it would send a message as well as set a precedent - kinda like hangin horse thieves and cattle rustlers , there are no redeeming factors involved - HANG EM HIGH 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

If I have any doubts I write down the info and call the VA Medical Center.  My team will go to great lengths to track it down...and report the crap that doesn't ring true.  Their motto is if it doesn't sound right or we can't verify it JUST DON'T!

[Pat Riot]

Tell them; “Mail me a bill.” Then hang up or disconnect. 
 

Simple

[Texas Maverick]

11 hours ago, watab kid said:

can we just start shooting these scammers where we find them pleases ? it would send a message as well as set a precedent - kinda like hangin horse thieves and cattle rustlers , there are no redeeming factors involved - HANG EM HIGH 

probably kinda of hard since you will never see them in person. most are probably from another country as well.

[watab kid]

11 hours ago, Texas Maverick said:

probably kinda of hard since you will never see them in person. most are probably from another country as well.

im sure your right , my credit card just got fraud charges for the second time in three weeks , im really tired of these things , 

[Rip Snorter]

So far,  knock on wood, my paranoia is superior to their ingenuity!  My caller ID even calls out Potential Scam!

[watab kid]

my phone silences the call id not in my contacts - leave a message if you want me to call back , otherwise . DELETE