So the next time you read a report about how much money patient info goes for on the dark web or read estimates about $200/record, perhaps you should shop around, because medical records and health insurance info can be dirt cheap. This vendor will apparently sell you two patients’ records with their Social Security number, date…
Category: ID Theft
2016 W-2 data up for sale on the dark web (updated)
As regular readers know by now, DataBreaches.net has been compiling reported instances of W-2 phishing scams. As part of that investigation, I decided to take a quick look today at some dark net marketplaces to see if any data were up for sale. Brian Krebs had reported on this issue in January after finding a…
Vermont Restaurant Settles Charges by Attorney General’s Office Over Credit Card Fraud
Caroline Strange reports that the Grand Buffet restaurant in Essex Junction, Vermont, has settled charges brought by the VT Attorney General’s Office following an investigation into credit card fraud that affected the restaurant’s customers. If that sounds a bit atypical to you (it did to me), it turns out that the restaurant had known there was…
Bend medical billing employee arrested in ID thefts
KTVZ reports that a woman who worked at Desert Orthopedics in Bend, Oregon was arrested last month and charged with theft and identity theft for stealing and misusing some patients’ financial information. The case against Karleigh Kelly,36, arose last month, when Bend police got a report of fraudulent activity on a Redmond resident’s account, said Bend…
$5.5 million HIPAA settlement shines light on the importance of audit controls
Memorial Healthcare Systems (MHS) has paid the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $5.5 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules and agreed to implement a robust corrective action plan. MHS is a nonprofit corporation which operates six hospitals, an…
Suspect in school employee tax fraud scheme indicted
Mitch Sneed reports: Last year more than 100 employees of the Alexander City School System were victimized when their personal information was obtained and used to file fraudulent tax returns. Friday, those employees learned that the person authorities believe is responsible is facing justice. According to a release from the Department of Justice, a federal…