Gesy adds one-time password check for calls involving personal data
From Wednesday, the Health Insurance Organisation will send a one-time code by SMS before its call centre shares any personal information with a beneficiary.
Callers to the Gesy service centre who ask for personal data will have to pass a new identity check starting Wednesday, as reported by Cyprus Mail. The measure was announced by the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), which runs the system.
Anyone requesting such details must first receive a one-time password (OTP) on the mobile number held in their Gesy record, valid for five minutes, and then pass a second check by a service centre officer. Routine questions that do not touch personal information are still answered as before.
The HIO advised beneficiaries to confirm that their contact details, above all their mobile number, are correct in the system. General enquiries remain available on 22017000.
What it means for residents
The change mainly affects anyone who calls the Gesy centre expecting to discuss their own record over the phone — an older parent, for instance, with an outdated number on file. If that number no longer reaches them, the conversation stops at general information.
- Update your mobile number now. Log in to the Gesy portal or visit a beneficiary service point and make sure the number registered is the one you actually carry.
- Keep your phone with you before dialling. The code arrives while you are on the call and stays valid for only five minutes, so have your ID card and date of birth handy too.
- Expect a longer call. Staff will not release personal details until both steps are done, so allow extra time for anything beyond a general question.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
