CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Fraudsters are now trying to use medical bills to collect your personal information.

According to the Better Business Bureau, you may receive a bill in the mail or a phone call that indicates you owe money on a medical bill. If you don’t pay immediately the billing department informs you that you will allegedly face consequences, such as fines, damage to your credit score, or even jail time. 

If you provide them with your credit or debit card number after they tell you that you owe money they will also ask you to confirm your name, address, or other sensitive information.

For example, one person told BBB Scam Tracker that they “received a medical bill for $500 for Covid testing that supposedly occurred in Virginia in January. I did a quick look into the business website and the site wasn’t even registered/live until May. I was also out of state (in CA) when it claims I got tested.”

To protect yourself, verify any claims against you by calling your doctor or hospital’s billing office, and search the number that called you.