The tax season is almost reaching its deadline, but it is not stopping the scammers from coming up with new ways to file fraudulent tax returns.
Cyber criminals are now stealing medical records to file fraudulent tax returns, in addition to health-care fraud.
How Does It Work?
Hackers, after hacking the medical records, sell off these stolen medical records to other criminals on the so-called Dark Web. This Dark web is not indexed by search engines and to gain access to this, you need to download a special browser.
Why had Medical Records?
Cybercriminals count on the fake tax returns they file and how big that is, depends on as much information as they can get about their victim. Medical records fetch higher prices for hackers, as they contain more information than a stolen credit card.
Full information about the victim, including Name, birth date, Social security number, address and even employment history can be obtained from a medical record.
A credit card number can change, but the Social security number stays the same.
Safeguarding Yourself from Becoming a Victim
- To protect yourself, avoid giving out your Social security number to your doctor. Generally, health-care providers don’t need your Social security number. If your doctor insists on having it, ask for a changeable PIN as a substitute to authenticate you.
- File your tax returns as soon as you can. Filing earlier makes it difficult for criminals to file a fake tax return.
If you have been a victim of the health-care breach, monitor your brokerage, bank and credit cards for any unusual activities. Also, alert the major credit reporting companies so they can place fraud alerts on your account.
Tax Help MD
Are you worried about being a victim of medical record scams? Don’t worry. At Tax Help MD, our taxexperts are ready to answer all your queries and advise you on protecting yourself from becoming a victim. Call us now on 888-632-4506.
Call 888-557-4020 or contact us online at https://www.taxhelpmd.com/contact-us/
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