The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is warning healthcare providers and suppliers about a new fraud scheme involving fake faxed requests for medical records.
According to a June 26 alert posted on CMS’ website, scammers are impersonating CMS and sending phishing faxes that falsely claim to be part of a Medicare audit. The faxes ask for patient medical records and documentation in an attempt to collect sensitive information.
“CMS does not initiate audits by requesting medical records via fax,” the agency wrote in the alert. “If you receive a suspicious request, do not respond.”
Providers who suspect they’ve received a fraudulent or questionable fax should contact their Medical Review Contractor to verify the legitimacy of the request, according to CMS.
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