The Florida Department of Health has notified 2,200 central Florida patients of a data breach after two former employees allegedly used their access to the department's database to steal patient information for a tax return scheme, according to a WFTV report.
The breach was discovered after a handwritten list containing patient information was found at the home of one of the participants in the alleged tax scheme, according to the report. Further investigation revealed the scheme may have included up to 3,500 total victims, mostly older teens who were likely not filing their own returns, according to the report.
A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health said the department would add extra security to existing systems and reduce the number of employees with access to patient information to help prevent another breach, according to the report.
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