To to take an instant free
tour of North America’s
fastest growing home business opportunity.
Click
here
ID Thieves' New Target
In March 2004, Joe Ryan got a collection notice from a billing
agency for Littleton Adventist Hospital near Denver, Colorado. The
hospital wanted payment for surgery totaling $41,188. Ryan, a Vail
pilot, had never set foot in that hospital. Obviously there was
some mistake. "I thought it was a joke," says Ryan.
But when he called the billing agency, nobody laughed. Someone
named Joe Ryan, using Ryan's Social Security number, had indeed
been admitted for surgery. A busy man, Ryan was trying to get his
new sightseeing business, Rocky Mountain Biplane Adventures, off
the ground. He figured clearing this up would take just a few phone
calls. Two years later, Ryan continues to suffer from the damage
to his credit rating and still doesn't know if his medical record
has been cleared of erroneous information. "I'm desperately
trying not to go bankrupt," he says. Joe Ryan was the victim
of a little-known but frightening type of consumer fraud that is
on the rise: medical identity theft. Unlike financial identity theft,
where crooks steal your personal information to rack up bogus credit
card and other charges, medical identity theft involves using
your name to get drugs, expensive medical treatment and even fraudulent
insurance payouts.
Click Here To View the Full Article
|
