Yale-New Haven hospital sitter charged with stealing patients’ identities

Federal officials are investigating two women for stealing the identities of four patients at Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital, NBC Connecticut reports. One of the women worked at the hospital as a patient companion.

Advertisement

One victim of the identity theft who was being hospitalized for a brain injury told NBC she felt the two companions, or “sitters,” were targeting patients they thought would die in the hospital. According to the court filings, the two sitters would change their alleged victims’ addresses, then monitor their mail to gain access to their financial information, ultimately opening credit cards in the patients’ names.

According to NBC, in one instance, one of the alleged identity thieves made themselves the beneficiary of a $50,000 life insurance policy for an individual hospitalized for behavioral health reasons.

One of the women faces bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, while the other faces a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to the filing. Hospital officials told NBC they are cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s office and federal investigators and that the woman who worked as a companion is no longer employed at Yale-New Haven.

More articles on data breaches:

Massachusetts clinic breach stems from unauthorized HIE access
CIO says mobile devices are organizations’ weakest cybersecurity link
Healthcare is not most-targeted sector for ransomware

Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit

Advertisement

Next Up in Health IT

Advertisement

Comments are closed.