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By Theo Burman
Live News Reporter
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a warning cautioning Americans about a rising trend of fraudulent emails and text messages in which criminals pose as health insurers or their investigative teams.
The report, issued on June 27, warned against messages designed to mimic communications from trusted health authorities, which have targeted patients and health care providers across the U.S.
Why It Matters
The scams aim to extract sensitive personal and financial information under the guise of insurance matters, such as alleged overpayments or requests about non-covered services. The information can be used to commit fraud, or even blackmail.
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Thousands of Americans fall prey to medical identity theft scams each year, according to Security.org, with a large number of victims belonging to older age groups.
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What To Know
According to the FBI, criminals use emails and texts that appear to originate from known health insurers or insurance investigators.
The messages pressure recipients to share protected health information, medical records or financial details, frequently under claims of processing refunds or handling service disputes.
"These criminals are sending emails and text messages to patients and health care providers, disguising them as legitimate communications from trusted health care authorities," the warning reads.
"The messages are designed to pressure victims into disclosing protected health information, medical records, personal financial details, or providing reimbursements for alleged service overpayments or non-covered services."
The FBI advised Americans to remain cautious of unsolicited communications requesting personal details, never to click suspicious links, use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, keep device software updated, and confirm any requests directly with their actual insurer before responding.
FBI's Advice For Avoiding Scams
- Be suspicious of unsolicited messages emails, texts and calls requesting personal information.
- Never click on links that are included in suspicious and/or unsolicited emails.
- Use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication for all accounts.
- Keep operating system software updated and use antivirus software on all devices.
- Always contact your health insurance provider directly to verify the legitimacy of any messages before sharing personal or health care information.
What People Are Saying
Steve Weisman, cybersecurity expert and editor of the Scamicide newsletter, told Newsweek: "Many of these scams target older Americans. It is easy to get lists of the names of older people, who as a group are significant users of medical services and are responsive to offers for discounted medical care.
"In addition, research at the University of Iowa found changes in a part of the aging brain that controls belief and doubt thereby making older people less skeptical and therefore more likely to be scammed due to their being more trusting and less skeptical.
"Like so many scams, they appeal to fear and needs, offering often a too good to be true solution."
What Happens Next
Victims of these scams are urged to report incidents to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Provide details such as the scammer's name, contact information and message contents.
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