A hacker can steal your medical information leaving you with a fatal prescription while getting themselves treated at your expense, leaving you with a hefty bill to pay, security experts from McAfee warns.
By using fake ID and false insurance cards, the thief can pose as a patient and have procedures carried out, but the problem is not just confined to monetary issues.
The procedures would be recorded in the victim’s name and, in future, could lead to misdiagnosis that can turn fatal.
Imposters can also mix up medical records and, based on that, patients can also be prescribed the wrong drugs.
Though it is difficult to stop identity theft, the security researchers suggest a few preventative measures.
These include encrypting the softcopies of the medical records and locking the hard copies, so that no one else can access them.
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Security experts also suggest proper disposal of medical documents after use as it can be misused by scamsters.
Among the other suggestions, the security experts also warned against carrying medical card, social security number or any other identification card when not required, as they can be misused.
