Identity TheftInformation BreachIntroductionMore people today become victims of information breach, such as identity theft. Patients in hospitals and healthcare facilities rank number one of victims affected by identity theft. The following paragraphs will provide a synopsis of recent cases wherein patients in a Miami hospital were victims of identity theft. Preventive measures will also entail.
Identity TheftA team of three committed fraudulent acts against patients in a Miami hospital. One of the three was an employee at the hospital who would sell patient information to the other two members of the team. Alci Bonannee (Bonannee) and Chante Mozley (Mozley) filed taxes using social security numbers (SSN) form patients of the hospital and then collect the tax refunds. This is just one of many stories wherein employees privy to patient information can sell SSN for up to $150 per number. The team committed the crimes between June 2011 and February 2012 stealing the identity of 834 patients. The hospital dismissed Betty Cole (Cole), a respiratory therapist and prosecuted her to the fullest (Mashihy, 2013).
Mafia-type Crimes with Criminal Intent A case of “Mafia-type” crimes and “criminal conduct” are common occurrences in the criminal justice system (Dickey, 2016). The term “criminal conduct” applies to one or other of the following: illegal drug/alcohol/drug-related crimes (Boyle, 1992), drug dealing/selling of controlled substances (Rosenbloom, 1997); “illegal gambling” and “the gaming of the mind” (Crow, 2000). According to the Mises Institute’s “Legal and Economics” paper, The Modern Madness of Money, the term criminal conduct and “legal” include all the activities and individuals doing the same thing. In fact, a study found that, since the 1980s, people who commit these violations have been held in jail for the majority of their lives (Moseley, 2015). When people move from one crime to the next and have no known ties to that crime, the same person who committed the crime in the previous crime can’t be prosecuted. If that is the case, there is no legal way for authorities to determine or prosecute those who commit those crimes (Moseley, 2015). Although the legal process is the same for all crimes committed by a single person, there rarely be a “legal basis for prosecuting the individual involved in the crime who actually committed it” (Museley, 2015). Furthermore, criminal “cases” tend to be filed within a short window of time (Ojeda, 1991; Latham, 2005). In many criminal prosecutions, there is no chance that the defendant will ever regain all of his criminal rights but a one year sentence is typical (Ojeda, 1991; Latham, 2005). “Mafia-type crimes” such as trafficking, bribery, possession of property, and drug smuggling are often done in the hope that the victim is still capable of acting independently in time, as the victim tries to rebuild a relationship with the criminal. In many cases, individuals that commit these crimes have no idea how to get back to living in person – or that they have anything to do with the crime (Eliasson, 1998). For the most part, a victim can simply continue to believe the government to be negligent and to follow suit. The Mises Institute defines “lawful conduct as the taking of any tangible human human act with the intent to gain profit or benefit a business or organization which has been committed by any person to that purpose (Moseley, 2015).” (Ojeda, 1991; Latham D. H. Leith.) This “improper” act is considered as a “public welfare” violation for the reason that the government has deemed it necessary to punish a person who “has committed” a legal or illicit act that violates the Constitution or the
Mafia-type Crimes with Criminal Intent A case of “Mafia-type” crimes and “criminal conduct” are common occurrences in the criminal justice system (Dickey, 2016). The term “criminal conduct” applies to one or other of the following: illegal drug/alcohol/drug-related crimes (Boyle, 1992), drug dealing/selling of controlled substances (Rosenbloom, 1997); “illegal gambling” and “the gaming of the mind” (Crow, 2000). According to the Mises Institute’s “Legal and Economics” paper, The Modern Madness of Money, the term criminal conduct and “legal” include all the activities and individuals doing the same thing. In fact, a study found that, since the 1980s, people who commit these violations have been held in jail for the majority of their lives (Moseley, 2015). When people move from one crime to the next and have no known ties to that crime, the same person who committed the crime in the previous crime can’t be prosecuted. If that is the case, there is no legal way for authorities to determine or prosecute those who commit those crimes (Moseley, 2015). Although the legal process is the same for all crimes committed by a single person, there rarely be a “legal basis for prosecuting the individual involved in the crime who actually committed it” (Museley, 2015). Furthermore, criminal “cases” tend to be filed within a short window of time (Ojeda, 1991; Latham, 2005). In many criminal prosecutions, there is no chance that the defendant will ever regain all of his criminal rights but a one year sentence is typical (Ojeda, 1991; Latham, 2005). “Mafia-type crimes” such as trafficking, bribery, possession of property, and drug smuggling are often done in the hope that the victim is still capable of acting independently in time, as the victim tries to rebuild a relationship with the criminal. In many cases, individuals that commit these crimes have no idea how to get back to living in person – or that they have anything to do with the crime (Eliasson, 1998). For the most part, a victim can simply continue to believe the government to be negligent and to follow suit. The Mises Institute defines “lawful conduct as the taking of any tangible human human act with the intent to gain profit or benefit a business or organization which has been committed by any person to that purpose (Moseley, 2015).” (Ojeda, 1991; Latham D. H. Leith.) This “improper” act is considered as a “public welfare” violation for the reason that the government has deemed it necessary to punish a person who “has committed” a legal or illicit act that violates the Constitution or the
Mafia-type Crimes with Criminal Intent A case of “Mafia-type” crimes and “criminal conduct” are common occurrences in the criminal justice system (Dickey, 2016). The term “criminal conduct” applies to one or other of the following: illegal drug/alcohol/drug-related crimes (Boyle, 1992), drug dealing/selling of controlled substances (Rosenbloom, 1997); “illegal gambling” and “the gaming of the mind” (Crow, 2000). According to the Mises Institute’s “Legal and Economics” paper, The Modern Madness of Money, the term criminal conduct and “legal” include all the activities and individuals doing the same thing. In fact, a study found that, since the 1980s, people who commit these violations have been held in jail for the majority of their lives (Moseley, 2015). When people move from one crime to the next and have no known ties to that crime, the same person who committed the crime in the previous crime can’t be prosecuted. If that is the case, there is no legal way for authorities to determine or prosecute those who commit those crimes (Moseley, 2015). Although the legal process is the same for all crimes committed by a single person, there rarely be a “legal basis for prosecuting the individual involved in the crime who actually committed it” (Museley, 2015). Furthermore, criminal “cases” tend to be filed within a short window of time (Ojeda, 1991; Latham, 2005). In many criminal prosecutions, there is no chance that the defendant will ever regain all of his criminal rights but a one year sentence is typical (Ojeda, 1991; Latham, 2005). “Mafia-type crimes” such as trafficking, bribery, possession of property, and drug smuggling are often done in the hope that the victim is still capable of acting independently in time, as the victim tries to rebuild a relationship with the criminal. In many cases, individuals that commit these crimes have no idea how to get back to living in person – or that they have anything to do with the crime (Eliasson, 1998). For the most part, a victim can simply continue to believe the government to be negligent and to follow suit. The Mises Institute defines “lawful conduct as the taking of any tangible human human act with the intent to gain profit or benefit a business or organization which has been committed by any person to that purpose (Moseley, 2015).” (Ojeda, 1991; Latham D. H. Leith.) This “improper” act is considered as a “public welfare” violation for the reason that the government has deemed it necessary to punish a person who “has committed” a legal or illicit act that violates the Constitution or the
Identity theft within the health care systems of Florida became prevalent four years ago. Hundreds of thousands of reports enter the Department of Health recording patients affected by information breaches. Memorial Healthcare System reported the largest number of patients affected totaling 111,650. HITECH, the federal act protecting patient information requires hospital to report breaches against 500 patients or more. Hospitals and health insurance companies agreed to work with the IRS to combat identity theft (Mashihy, 2013).
Accordingly, Cole faces seven years in prison after pleading guilty. Bonannee is serving a 26 year prison sentence and Mozley will serve a 42 month prison sentence. As mentioned above, incidents, such as this, are too common in the healthcare systems. Fraudulent employees study and become well aware of how to work around the security systems associated with most computers (McGee, 2013).
Unfortunately, a similar case in New York made the news. An employee from the South Shore Physicians on Staten Island stole patient information from paper records for 80 patients or more. The employee used the information to request new bank cards and made withdrawals form the patients’ bank accounts. Of course there are ways to prevent this form of identity theft from occurring (McGee, 2013).
According