THE NATIONAL NEWS DESK – Since MyChart reported an uptick in phishing scams, the company shared best practices for patients to stay alert and avoid accidentally falling for a scam. About 190 million patients worldwide use the online medical portal.
A new tool, Identity Proofing for MyChart by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, provides additional checks to help detect potential fraudulent access to patient information. Its goal is “to be able to secure the portals in a way that genuine consumers can seamlessly access what they need to access,” said Kim Brown, vice president of product management for healthcare and insurance at LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
In one example of a MyChart phishing scam, an email is sent to patients encouraging them to click a link leading to medical results. If patients click the link, it takes them to a fake login page and may take them to another page with an urgent warning about critical blood work. The scam can expose patients’ computers to malware or trick them into giving up personal information.
“It’s really targeted at gaining information that they can then take and use in another scheme,” Brown said.
With more than two decades of experience in public relations and journalism, Mike is a strategic communications leader who focuses on media relations and reputation management.