Did you receive a letter about a data breach involving Change Healthcare, even though you don’t use their services? It’s not a scam. Change Healthcare, a company that processes payments for healthcare providers, was recently hacked. The letter you received is offering IDX protection for 2 years to help safeguard against any issues resulting from the breach.
Background: Change Healthcare Data Breach Notification
On July 29th, Change Healthcare started sending out letters about a data breach. Many people have received these notices. The breach happened in February when a cyberattack took Change Healthcare—part of UnitedHealth, a major health company—offline. This caused a backlog of unpaid claims, creating cash flow problems for doctors and hospitals and potentially affecting patient care.
Is Change Health Care Scam Or Legit
It’s not a scam, Change Healthcare works with healthcare providers to handle payments, so even if you haven’t dealt with them directly, your information might have been exposed because of the services they provide to doctors or hospitals. Since Change Healthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group, one of the largest healthcare companies, it makes sense that their breach would be real. The credit monitoring service they’re offering is from a reputable company, so the offer is likely legitimate and not a scam.
What You Need to Know About the Breach
The attack led to millions of Americans’ sensitive health information being exposed on the dark web, even though UnitedHealth paid a ransom to the hackers. The breach happened because UnitedHealth wasn’t using multifactor authentication (MFA), a common security measure. It’s estimated that a third of Americans had their health information leaked. Unfortunately, despite paying the ransom, there’s still a chance that more personal information could be exposed in the future.
Real Data Breach and Poor Response
The data breach at Change Healthcare is real, and the letter you received, though poorly written, is legitimate. Change Healthcare seems to be handling the situation poorly as many people are receiving letters that has nothing to do with them.
They are offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for two years to those affected. The data was stolen by a group linked to the BlackCat ransomware gang, and other groups may also have copies. With around one in three Americans affected, it’s important to sign up for these services as soon as possible. You can do this by visiting change cyber support or calling (888) 846-4705.
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