Scammers are impersonating MyChart. Here’s how to spot them
Scammers are impersonating MyChart to steal login, personal and payment information. Here’s how to spot the fake messages and protect yourself.
Scammers are impersonating MyChart, the patient portal many people use to communicate with their health care providers.
MyChart, which is licensed by Epic Systems Corporation, says it has seen an increase in fake emails, text messages, phone calls and websites designed to look official. It shared two examples of scams it investigated this summer: one attempts to steal patients’ login information, while the other promises a free product in exchange for personal and payment information.
MyChart says the activity is not related to a security problem with its platform, so patients can continue using the service, but should slow down and check suspicious messages before clicking.
Fake medical results scam
One scam begins with an email saying a patient’s medical results are ready.
The email includes a link or button that appears to direct the recipient to MyChart. But the link leads to a fake sign-in page designed to look like the real website.
The fake website may then display a medical record with alarming messages about the patient’s test results.
The page may ask you to prove you are human by pressing the Windows key and “R,” then pressing “Ctrl” and “V,” followed by “Enter.”
Those keystrokes open a Windows command box, paste a code the scammers placed on your clipboard and run it, installing malware on your computer. No legitimate website will ask you to use keyboard shortcuts to verify, fix or unlock your account.
Another version of the scam may ask users to download a program to see their full medical report. Do not download it or bypass a computer security warning. MyChart says legitimate lab results are available through its website or app, not through a program downloaded from an email or unfamiliar website.
Fake Medicare kit scam
The second scam starts with an email saying the recipient has been selected to receive a free Medicare health kit.
The message may direct the recipient to a website with a survey. The page can include a countdown clock and claims that only a few kits remain.
After completing the survey, the recipient is told they have won a kit valued at $149. The page then asks them to pay a small shipping fee.
That allows scammers to collect personal information, including a name, email address, phone number and mailing address. The final step asks for credit card information.
MyChart says it does not run giveaways. A message promising a free product or prize in the MyChart name is not legitimate. A prize that requires payment is not really a prize — it is a purchase.
How to protect yourself
MyChart recommends checking the sender’s full email address and the complete website URL before clicking a link or entering information. Each health care organization has its own official MyChart website, so patients should open the MyChart app or use a bookmarked website instead of clicking a link in an unexpected message.
If you clicked a link but did not enter information, close the page and report the message as junk or phishing. If you entered your MyChart password, reset it. If you entered credit card information, contact your bank, report the charge as fraud and ask for the card to be replaced.
Anyone who followed keyboard instructions or ran a program should disconnect the computer from the internet and have it checked before using it to access personal, financial or work information.
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