All cases of medical identity theft are quite serious, but a recent one takes the cake. It could have been a matter of life or death, literally. A so-called doctor in Toms River, NJ, allegedly set up a company called Visiting Doctors of New Jersey. The premise was to provide medical professionals to people who were not able to leave their homes. Good idea indeed but as you probably guessed this one comes with a twist, a horrifying twist.
While legitimate medical doctors were hired, the so-called doctor, Patrick Lynch, neglected to pay them for their services, which resulted in a mass exodus. Instead of closing down the business, Lynch stole the identities of said providers, i.e. legitimate doctors, and kept running the practice by himself using their names and credentials. He allegedly prescribed drugs, treating patients and ordered procedures while posing as a licensed physician – which, of course, he wasn’t.
The good doctor: Patrick Lynch, was charged with aggravated identity theft, which means identity theft that is associated with another crime; in this case, healthcare fraud. He could receive 12 or more years in prison.
What this case brings to light is the abundance of fraudulent job ads that are out there; either they are for companies that don’t actually exist – or in this case – companies that have no intention of actually paying their employees. While this is a severe case, obviously, it is quite common for a scammer to post a job ad to gain applicants’ personal information and simply add that individual to a spam mailing list or something of that sort.
To avoid this type of fraud, look for three things in a job ad: the name of the company; a contact phone number or email; and a contact name. If at least one of these is present, it’s likely the job is legitimate, but it’s always a good idea to do some further research. For example, see if the company has an official website, and apply directly through that channel if possible.
You have to remember to be vigilant to protect yourself from identity theft and to always be the one to initiate contact before passing over personal and private information. In other words, regardless if its an email, ad or phone call don’t trust it as legitimate until you have proven to yourself that it is. Keep your guard up and stay safe!