This appears to be a case where medical identity theft has harmed someone: It seems that identity theft and fraud have hit Medicare, according to an 86-year-old woman named Jessie Coles. She first discovered something was wrong after being denied by Medicare for a new power wheelchair. According to Medicare records she had already ordered…
Author: Dissent
MO: Patients Say Doctor Outed Their Surgeries (updated)
Joe Harris reports: Five women who had cosmetic surgery say they were humiliated to find that an Internet search of their names leads to before-and-after photographs of their naked breasts, posted by their surgeon to promote her business. Michele Koo, MD, took the pictures from her patients’ confidential medical files, according to five separate complaints…
Smiley Face Emoticon Triggers FIU Data Scare
Steve Litz reports: Thousands of students at Florida International University are hoping their personal information is not used against them after being informed of a possible security breach of the university’s computer system. An undergraduate education database containing 19,500 current and former students’ names, social security numbers, birth dates, and grade point averages was discovered…
Mass. man, RI accomplice face ID theft charges
Associated Press reports: A Massachusetts man and his alleged Rhode Island accomplice are set to appear before a Boston judge on charges of stealing dozens of people’s identities, then using them to pass forged prescriptions for powerful painkillers and other drugs. Fifty-seven-year-old John Tropea of Franklin faces 67 counts of identity fraud, 69 counts of…
AZ: Glendale police arrest credit card worker in identity theft
Morgan Tanabe reports: Glendale police arrested a credit card company worker and her boyfriend suspected of identity theft and the use of a stolen credit card, according to a court document. Las Vegas resident Amanda Shepherd, who works as a customer service representative at Citi Cards, was arrested Tuesday. George Nelson was arrested on Sept….
AU: Hackers published personal data of 25,000 police officials
The Austrian Independent reports: An Austrian hackers group has published the names and home addresses of 24,938 police officials sparking fears that many could be targeted by criminals. Police say the data published by the Austrian branch of the global hacker collective „Anonymous”, known as AnonAustria contained private information for officials ranging from beat officers…