Posted
on Wednesday, September 16, 2026
in
Identity Theft Prevention
Imagine opening an email that appears to be from your patient portal, telling you your test results are ready. You select the button in the email and land on a sign-in page that looks just like the real one, so you enter your email address and password. Then a pop-up window appears, stating that an "AI-powered review" found problems with your blood work. To see more, the page says you must complete a quick verification step.
Unfortunately, this email is actually a phishing scam! By signing in, you handed your login details straight to cybercriminals. The "verification" step might ask you to press a key combination, then paste and run a command. If you do, you could install malware on your device as well!
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to this phishing scam:
- Open your patient portal through the official app or your healthcare provider's website. Don't select a button in an email about test results.
- Never press key combinations, paste commands, or download files because a website tells you to. Real patient portals don't work that way.
- Whichever health service you use, and wherever you live, confirm surprising results by contacting your provider directly through a phone number you know is real.
Article provided by:
KnowBe4.com