I was reading an ID theft news story, and noted that one of those allegedly involved in the ring was an employee of an unnamed physician’s office. It’s not the kind of story that makes big news in terms of numbers, but represents a real risk for physicians and health care professionals with small offices, perhaps: can we really be confident employees are not copying or acquiring personal information? If you have a few employees, who really monitors the security of your patient’s data? Just something scary to think about on a Saturday morning….
Erica Blake reports:
As part of their employment with various Toledo-area businesses, Robert L. Taylor, Adam R. Shank, and Dominique L. Lawson had access to clients’ names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
But instead of keeping the information confidential, the three allegedly sold the identities – more than 125 of them – to another man, Robert Hines.
Known as Snake, Hines is accused of using the information to open credit accounts and rack up thousands of dollars in purchases and services.
[…]
According to the indictment, Ms. Lawson was employed at a physician’s office in Toledo. She is accused of taking the personal information from patient records for 11 individuals at some point during November and December of 2007 and providing it to Hines.
Read more in the Toledo Blade.