FBI Warns Of Insidious Health Insurance Scam Making The Rounds
You should always be suspicious of unsolicited communications via email, text, and phone calls, especially if you are being asked to provide any kind of personal information. That falls under the category of Safe Computing 101. Lest anyone need reminding, however, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is reminding the public at large to be diligent in light of a healthcare scam campaign.
According to the FBI, criminals are posing as legitimate health insurance agents and fraud investigators to try and swindle unsuspecting victims into forking over their personal details. They are targeting patients, though interestingly, these scammers are also phishing for details from healthcare providers.
"These criminals are sending emails and text messages to patients and healthcare providers, disguising them as legitimate communications from trusted healthcare authorities. The messages are designed to pressure victims into disclosing protected health information, medical records, personal financial details, or providing reimbursements for alleged service over-payments or non-covered services," the FBI explains in a public service announcement.
The FBI's notice doesn't include exact verbiage that these scammers are using, which is unfortunate because phishing scams that warrant a public service announcement oftentimes follow a similar script (see the iPhone phishing scam we wrote about earlier this year), making them easier to spot. In lieu of that, however, the FBI offers up some general tips to stay safe.
In addition to being wary of unsolicited texts and emails, the FBI reminds that users should never click on links included in such communications. The agency is also encouraging users to implement strong passwords on accounts and, when available, to enable multi-factor authentication.
Other tips provided the FBI include keeping your operating system up to date with the latest patches and to use antivirus software on all devices.
Should you receive a suspicious or otherwise unexpected healthcare message, the FBI says you should contact your health insurance provider directly, rather than respond to the email or text message. That same advice applies to all sorts of phishing scams.
Again, this is basic stuff when it comes to security and privacy. However, given that the FBI saw fit to post a public service announcement, now would be a good time to inform your less savvy family members and friends that this type of scam is making the rounds.
If it's too late and you think you've already been scammed, the FBI encourages you to submit a report to its Internet Crime Complaint Center.
