Ms. Phish: "Hi, this is Cindy over at Dr. Weneverheardofhim's office, and we want to refer a patient to you."
Mary: "Okay, what's their insurance?"
Ms. Phish: "Hang on, to refer them we need Dr. Grumpy's address and Social Security number."
Mary: "Uh, you don't need his SS number to refer a patient. I can give his medical ID, which is what all plans require."
Ms. Phish: "No, this insurance requires the doctor's SS number."
Mary: "What insurance is that?"
Ms. Phish: "National Illness."
Mary: "We work with National Illness, and they don't..."
Ms. Phish: "LOOK! Just give me the doctor's SS number, or we will never send you another patient again!"
Mary: "Goodbye."
16 comments:
Can you clone Mary and send her my way?
That's incredible. Incredibly creative too. I hope you bought Mary lunch for that one.
Holy crap. Ballsy.
You would think if someone trying to run that kind of scam would do a little research first.
They never do their research. They watch Grey's Anatomy and think they can outsmart the professionals. We get people who steal white coats all the time try and walk into our pharmacy and take narcotics. Yes, cause we just have them sitting in a big candy bowl inside...help yourself!
I once asked for a doctor's license number b/c I needed it to process a claim. The receptionist freaked out. She went on and on about how she would never give that info over the phone, no one would ever need it, etc.
After a confusing few minutes I figured out that she thought I meant driver's license number, not medical license. Another example of the need to be perfectly clear when communicating.
"You HAVE to help us! The patient is a deposed Nigerian prince!"
Go, Mary!
I'm in love with Mary.
Did you report the phishing scam to the appropriate office?
And Mary is the best!
Yes, social engineering is wonderful, isn't it? You'd actually be surprised at how much you can get just by asking. Kevin Mitnick has written a few books on the subject, very compelling reads.
Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. When I had to visit a mine site they asked me for my social insurance number. I asked if I HAD to give it and they said no, they just wanted it. I didn't give it but the others in the group did. When I took my parents shopping and the store offered them a discount if they got a store card, same thing. And they gave it, even though I told them not to, because the store asked and they didn't want to be rude. (Yes, we're Canadian.)
@Not House
Speaking of Nigerian Princes...
In my local news...
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/former_wampsville_clerk_says_s.html
Ha! We want fingerprints and DNA too!
"...we will never send you another patient again!"
So was that a threat, or a promise?
How the hell do you find staff that clued up? You owe her a pay rise, or at least champagne/chocolates/whatever.
Either way, please tell her that some random guy from Australia is impressed as all hell with her smarts.
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