SALT LAKE CITY — The end of the year means most Utahns will soon be making selections for their healthcare coverage during open enrollment, but that opens the door for scammers looking to steal information and money.
Select Health, an insurance provider in Utah says it is receiving reports of scammers posing as representatives of the insurance company.
“We are seeing significant attacks in healthcare,” said Matt Christensen, director of cybersecurity at Select Health. “It does happen around open enrollment.”
He says scammers use fear, uncertainty and doubt to prey on their victims, many of whom are in the elderly population.
The FBI reported elderly people lost $1.7 billion dollars in 2021 due to fraud and scams.
Those who receive suspicious calls or emails are urged to pause and not panic.
“If it's a phone call, hang up,” Christensen said. “Then go look up the insurance carrier and call their customer service line.”
He also advises people to avoid responding to suspicious emails or texts and avoid clicking on any links in the message.
The natural instinct of many people is to trust the calls or emails they receive. Christensen says scammers will prey on that instinct.
Those who receive a suspicious call are urged to suspect that it is illegitimate.
“Right now, you just have to assume, it it wasn’t expected, if it’s asking you to do something urgently or it’s inducing fear like ‘we are going to put your grandson in jail’ or ‘ we are going to cancel your benefits,’ that’s where those triggers need to go off in your mind,” Christensen said.
He adds Select Health will never harass, intimidate or make threats.
Christensen says anyone who receives a communication from someone impersonating a Select Health employee should call the company so they can investigate.
