MyChart portal used by LI healthcare systems warns of scams aiming to steal money, information

Hospitals across the country are warning patients about a new scam that seeks to steal money and information from users of MyChart, the patient portal for hundreds of millions of consumers.

Dozens of healthcare systems have alerted patients about scam emails claiming to offer a free "MyChart Medicare Kit" or other freebies in order to trick a patient into giving up their MyChart login information.

More than 190 million patients use MyChart as their patient portal, according to Epic Systems Corp., the developer of MyChart. That includes the New York-based hospital systems Mount Sinai and Northwell Health, which have issued warnings to their customers, and NYU Langone.

Epic first warned customers in July about an uptick in scams. Since then, 41 healthcare systems have warned customers about MyChart scams, or had patients who reported experiencing this type of fraud, according to Becker's Health IT, a healthcare trade publication.

"We've seen an uptick in scammers trying to trick patients by using the MyChart name or logo to make emails, text messages, phone calls and websites look official," Trevor Berceau, director of research and development for Epic, wrote in July. "Some might try to steal your login information or promise free gifts if you enter payment details."

A spokesperson for Epic Systems Corp., the Verona, Wisconsin-based developer of MyChart, did not respond to questions about when the company noticed the issue, and directed patients to its website for advice.

A representative for NYU Langone did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Mount Sinai said Epic had alerted the hospital system to the phishing campaign, and that Mount Sinai has warned its staff and patients.

Northwell provided a warning about the scam on Northwell’s MyChart platform, but has not had any complaints about the scam from patients as of yet, said Joseph Kemp, a spokesperson for Northwell.

Epic identified two types of scams in a company blog post. One is a fake email about a patient's test results that directs them to a fake version of the MyChart website, where a scary message encourages them to download malware on their computer.

The other offers users a free "MyChart Medicare Kit" and encourages them to enter their address and credit card information to pay for shipping.

But any email from MyChart offering a giveaway is fake, according to Epic's blog post. MyChart is a platform that stores medical records; it does not offer free products.

These scams prey on a patient's fears and deference to authority, said Sy Islam, an associate professor of psychology at Farmingdale State College. A patient may want to respond quickly to a notice from their healthcare provider, and can be less likely to spot a scam that claims to give away something for free, Islam added.

Legitimate offers for free services disappear if a patient is slow to act, Islam added.

"One of the biggest pressures is [telling patients to] act fast, act now before you lose the opportunity," Islam said. "It's good to remember that the opportunity is not going to suddenly leave because you didn't click on a link fast enough. If you qualify for something, chances are they're going to want you to take advantage of it."

These scams also can put pressure on elderly patients who rely on Medicare for lower-cost health insurance — a program that has been targeted for cuts by federal legislators.

"Generally, people are worried about losing opportunity rather than gaining one in many cases," Islam said. "Keeping that fear of loss in perspective is important."