Easily located in the trash, pill bottles contain a lot of information which can easily be used by those looking to commit fraud. An area of identity theft, medical identity theft is a growing trend with very little expose to the unsuspecting. Everyone should know to remove the labels before discarding this vital information that can fall into the wrong hands, and it could be years before you catch on.
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 12, 2007 -- What if the seemingly innocuous information contained on your medicine bottles did actually contain information that puts you in a compromising position? Well, that is what can actually happen according to Steve Schwimmer, president of the National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP) and a regional sales manager at Renaissance Merchant Services based in Bohemia, Long Island.
There is a growing trend of using information contained on the label of medicine bottles to gain access to medical benefits and to gain access to identities. This is a frightening new trend because, unlike other forms of identity theft, medical identity theft can sometimes take a longer time to catch onto. This is a relatively new development and one the public at-large needs to be aware of. "Understand that people will look through your garbage for information and a pill bottle can be very easy to spot. This is part of a growing trend of a particular aspect of medial theft whereby those seeking to gain access to your identity and personal information can do so right off a pill bottle. Simply knowing how to use the information contained on prescription bottles is reaping havoc on the lives of so many unsuspecting individuals," explains Schwimmer.
In order to combat this it is advised to be as protective of the information on medical receipts and pill bottles as you would be with any other item that contains personal information. This is a relatively new trend, but a growing trend because the chances of getting detected is a lot lower than other forms of fraud. The criminals realize most people do not pay attention to medical bills like they do credit card bills so this can go on for some time. It is happening under the radar and comes as a surprise to so many individuals who hadn't any inclination that this could happen. We have all heard the stories involving many other types of medical fraud this too can be added to that list. It is important to take the necessary steps to keep your medical identity and your medical services safe.
To help prevent information from falling into the wrong hands, make sure all labels are off bottles prior to their disposal. Shred all labels and also the papers that come with the prescription from your pharmacy which contain any codes or information that can be traced back to you. The stories are numerous as to why this now needs to be done. Your information can be used to obtain prescriptions to fuel the underground prescription drug trade. Your medical identity can be used to obtain medical services for other individuals or used to bill your insurance company. This can affect your medical coverage and impact the services you might one day need. It is growing crime that each of us needs to be aware of and take steps to prevent.
About Steve Schwimmer: Mr. Schwimmer is an active member of the Long Island business community and a Director of the Syosset Chamber of Commerce, the former Chairman of The Foundation for Sight and Sound where he helped launch such successful and popular Long Island events as "The Blind Wine Tasting Gala" and "Blind Tug-A-Jet" to benefit the charity he chaired for (years). He remains an active member of the Hauppauge Industrial Association (HIA), the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce and the Long Island Association (LIA). He also currently serving as President of the National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP), and is a long-term member of the Long Island Better Business Bureau's Executive Board.
Contact:
Karen Johnson, Johnson Media Service
631-757-4950
Johnsonkr9@aol.com
Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law
See Also
No comments:
Post a Comment