Fremont (Neb.) Health is investigating a potential data breach of employee tax and payroll information, according to a Fremont Tribune report.
A "small number" of employees reported to the hospital there were potential problems after learning somebody fraudulently tried to file an income tax return using their information, according to the report.
Bill Vobejda, vice president of administration for Fremont Health, told Fremont Tribune the hospital immediately launched an investigation. The hospital does not know how many employees' may be affected, but it says the breach is not internal.
Additionally, Fremont Health says no patient information was compromised.
Media reports suggest the breach is associated with the third party vendor Fremont Health uses for payroll. The company, Greenshades, posted a notice on its website saying the IRS has reported an increase in fraudulent tax filings across the country, and that Greenshades itself has noticed an increase in fraudulent log in attempts on client employee portals.
However, the company said there is no indication the login attempts are evidence of a technical breach of the network. "Instead, it appears criminals with personal information obtained from other sources are attempting to log into some…portals," according to the statement.
Note: Fremont Health did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.
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