Beware of Sleazy Marketing Campaign

 

Last week one of our clients sent us a copy of a postcard they had received in the mail that was sent from Washington DC and presented itself as an official government document. Here's a picture of the postcard:

Well apparently this postcard was so prolific that it caused an alert to be sent out from the Office for Civil Rights (aka OCR, aka HIPAA police). OCR has requested anyone with any questions regarding this information to be sent to their email at OCRMail@hhs.gov (not the .gov extension).

This is a deceptive email. The address listed is a PO Box in the Washington DC area, an address anyone, anywhere in the country, can obtain. We discourage anyone from doing business with a company that would engage in sleazy and deceptive marketing tactics like this. Whether it's marketing a service or a supposed advisory regarding COVID19, fake governmental communications are on the rise, and they are snaring too many of us. As a general rule, never use the information provided from a mail, email, or phone call to communicate with the sender. Instead, search for the number yourself online, and call that number.

While the adage desperate times call for desperate measures may be true for many right now, it's also true that a person's character is best judged during the worst of times and not the best of times. Fair and honest competition is great for the consumer and we love it. At HIPAA Security Suite we can compete on any metric. Ask us how we can be of service to your organization.

Keep your guard up.

If you have any questions or if you are concerned about your organization's cybersecurity, give us a call at (800) 970-0402. We'll be happy to help.

For more HIPAA information, download our ebook - The Ultimate HIPAA Compliance Handbook.

The HIPAA Security Rule requires the implementation of a security awareness and training program for all members of its workforce (including management). Have your team sign up for weekly HIPAA Security Reminder to help stay compliant.