<p>My wife got a call from a doctor’s office from another town to confirm her appointment and seeking for insurance information. So, this must be the first appoinment there. The thing is my wife had never made the appointment; she’s absolutley positive. I could just call the office and tell them about that. But what happens if someone stole her identity? I verified the phone number left on our voice mail and that the office is real and rather well known. I just left the local police department a message seeking their advice. Aside that, what else should I do? Also, do any of you know the web site where you can get the free annual credit reports?</p>
<p>There was a local case of identity theft in which a woman used another woman’s identity to obtain cosmetic surgery. The process of getting her identity back and especially clearing up her medical records, was quite daunting.</p>
<p>you may want to contact the credit agencies and put an alert on your wife’s identifying info ( experian,equifax and transunion ) it is free and can help you to be pro-active in the case of a potential attempt at an identity theft.</p>
<p>Hopefull, it is nothing and just a phone line screw up. We have been inundated with someone else’s phone calls ( many of which were doctor’s office phone messages ) lately as a result of a Verizon screw up. If you called the other party’s phone number you would receive a message referring the caller to our number…don’t know the person and it wasn’t even our area code… go figure.</p>
<p>also, call drs. office and speak to office manager(not receptionist or booker) if you say possible identity theft, you will get attention. Alert them to the fact that you did not make appointment, and that this is your phone # and name. Tell them that there is a potential identity theft, and that if a person shows up claiming to be your wife to ask for photo id (like drivers license) and to call police if they present something. </p>
<p>What makes me question that this is a theft, is that the thief generally gives their phone # and address, and uses your identifying numbers. I’m not sure why a thief would give your telephone number. </p>
<p>Is there any possibility that another doctor’s office made an appointment for her? We do this very rarely, but have done it for patients, when they needed a special procedure, testing etc. type of thing. Then the doctor’s office would call for info. from the patient. As I said, we have done this, but on very rare occasions, and of course we told the patient to expect the call.</p>
<p>I got a call asking to verify insurance information regarding a doctor’s visit. It gave me an 800 number to call. Since the doctor’s office is local, I didn’t think they would use an 800 number. I tried to call the number and there was no answer or answering machine. About that time, I figured that it was a scam, especially since, at this particular doctor’s office, I have to fill out an insurance info form at every visit if it’s been more than 3 months. </p>
<p>I called the doctor’s office. The receptionist verified that the company name that was given was a service they use for billing purposes and that they were not open every day. I didn’t think to ask her to check the phone number. I said that I would never give personal information in response to such a call. Furthermore, since I have been a patience for a while, I knew the info they had on me was correct, so there should have been no need to verify anything. She said the would look into it, and I never heard anymore.</p>
<p>It pays to be suspicious. BTW, I have been getting calls saying that a charge has been questioned on my cc account and I should call an 800 number to verify. Only one of them was real. It was the one where the person said that such-and-such a bank was calling about my cc ending in #### regarding a possibly fraudulent charge. The fake (I think) calls didn’t specify a bank or a cc number or both. In any event, I never call the 800 number they leave. If I receive such a call with correct info (bank & ####), I call the 800 number on the back of the cc. Since they ask you all the info and security questions, I certainly don’t want to give that info away.</p>
<p>Another reminder for folks that I learned the hard way. Make sure and update your phone number on your cc account when you change your address. I needed to make a change to a cc and I couldn’t give the phone number on the account. I had had the card for over 20 years and have moved 3 or 4 times in that period. I can’t remember my old phone numbers now. I finally got the person to give me the area code. Fortunately, it was my growing up phone # and I knew it.</p>