Columbus, Ohio – Residents who use the MyChart online portal for their health records have been hit with a new phishing scheme. Scammers are sending emails and text messages that appear to come from MyChart, offering free items such as a “Medicare Kit” or “Senior Health Package” in exchange for completing a short survey and paying a modest shipping fee.
How the scam works
The fraudulent messages typically ask the recipient to click a link, fill out a survey and then provide a small payment. Once the payment is made, the scammers capture the victim’s credit‑card information. “They have your credit‑card information now,” said Judy Dollison, president of the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio.
In a second variant, the messages claim that new test results are available and direct users to a fake login page that looks identical to the real MyChart site. When a patient enters their username and password, the scammers gain full access to the actual MyChart account, including billing details, insurance information and personal health data.
Why the data is valuable
Medical information can be especially lucrative for fraudsters. Knowledge of a person’s health conditions, insurance coverage and provider history makes future phone, email or text scams appear far more credible. “They know I’m a diabetic, or they know something about me, and that can lead to future scams,” Dollison warned.
Protecting yourself
Consumer experts advise Ohio residents to avoid clicking any links in unsolicited MyChart‑related messages. Instead, open the official MyChart app or navigate directly to the health‑care provider’s website and log in from there. If a legitimate test result or billing notice exists, it will be visible after a secure login.
Any unexpected offer that requires a payment—no matter how small—should be treated as a red flag. Recipients should mark the message as junk or spam, delete it, and never use an “unsubscribe” link, which can lead to another malicious site.
By taking a moment to verify communications through official channels, Ohio patients can safeguard not only their credit‑card numbers and passwords but also the most private part of their lives: their medical records.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
