Couples Learn, operated by Schewitz Psychological Services Inc., has notified clients that an unauthorized individual gained access to the practice’s account with Acuity Scheduling, its online scheduling platform, using a hacked staff password. This falls under hacking or system intrusion. Once inside, the individual uploaded a list of external email addresses and used the account to send out spam and phishing emails. The practice states there is no evidence the intruder viewed, downloaded, or otherwise misused any client data, and system logs reportedly show no data exports or access to existing client records. Clinical records and therapy notes were not affected, since those are stored in a separate electronic health record system that is not connected to Acuity Scheduling.
The notice was sent to clients of Couples Learn who scheduled appointments through the Acuity platform, including anyone who booked a free consultation, individual therapy, or couples therapy session. If you provided a partner’s name and email address, or your state of residence, during the booking process, that information may also have been involved.
What information was exposed?
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Type of appointment scheduled (e.g. individual or couples therapy)
- Partner’s name and email address, if provided during booking
- State of residence, if provided during booking
What should you do now?
- Be cautious of unexpected emails or texts referencing your therapy appointments, even ones that appear to come from Couples Learn or a partner’s name, since attackers may attempt follow-up phishing using this information.
- Do not click links or download attachments in unsolicited messages, and verify any request for personal information by contacting the practice directly using the number below rather than replying to the message.
- Watch for phishing attempts that reference sensitive details like your appointment type, since this can make scam messages appear more convincing.
- Consider signing up for a service like Aura or LifeLock, which can alert you if your name, email, or phone number turns up in places it shouldn’t.
- If your partner’s information was included in your booking, let them know so they can also stay alert to suspicious messages.
- Keep an eye on your email inbox for spam or phishing attempts and report anything suspicious to your email provider.
If you have questions, Couples Learn can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 200-9643.