As technology continues to shape the way healthcare services are delivered, it also introduces new vulnerabilities. One of the most damaging threats is medical identity theft—a growing form of healthcare fraud where criminals steal personal health information to commit scams and profit at the expense of patients and providers.
Criminals target both individuals and institutions to access private health data. They may:
Hackers often break into hospital networks or healthcare databases to steal large volumes of information. This stolen data includes names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, health insurance details, and medical histories. Once obtained, it is sold to fraudsters who use it to impersonate patients and exploit healthcare systems.
Cryptocurrency plays a key role in facilitating these crimes. It is frequently used to:
Because digital currency transactions are difficult to trace, criminals are able to operate under a cloak of anonymity, making it harder for authorities to detect or stop their actions.
The consequences of medical identity theft can be severe:
In a major breach, cybercriminals gained access to thousands of patient records from a hospital system. The stolen data was sold for Bitcoin on dark web platforms. Fraudsters then used the information to create and submit false insurance claims, costing insurers millions and exposing patients to financial and medical harm.
To protect yourself and your healthcare information:
In the next post, we’ll dive into the world of decentralized finance (DeFi)—what it is, how it works, and why scammers are increasingly using it to commit healthcare-related fraud.
