WILX reports:
About six months ago, a medical billing company was hacked and patients information was compromised.
One Lansing woman says she’s still dealing with the aftermath.
Joanne Fink says she’s getting calls from companies referencing her specific medical conditions.
She believes it’s related to the data breach at Wolverine Solutions Group.
Read more on WILX.
I have reported in the past on companies that buy contact information and start calling people to offer them back braces, knee braces, or other devices that might be covered by insurance.
I have also observed/experienced a recent uptick in this type of phone call that may begin with the caller saying something like, “We’re calling in response to your inquiry about a back brace…” These callers do not ask for anyone by name, and have NO specific information about the person or persons at the number they just called. And of course, there’s a good chance that in any household, there may be a person with back problems or knee problems — or diabetes. These problems are just that common.
So before we jump to the idea that calls are related to a specific breach, ask yourselves:
- Did the caller ask for you or a family member by name?
- Did the caller have specific – and accurate – diagnostic information about you or your family member or was the the caller just making vague requests like “I’d like to speak to the person who has back problems,” and hoping you’d volunteer a name and specific details?
I have gotten at least a dozen calls in the past few months from these marketers. And I’m not aware of any connection between Wolverine and my providers or insurers. At least I certainly haven’t gotten any notification letters about the Wolverine incident. So I wonder if that woman in Lansing is correct in thinking that the calls she’s getting are in any way linked to the Wolverine incident. My bet is that it’s not related, but I could be wrong.