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Federal officials are warning Americans about fake COVID-19 test sites that have been reported in states around the country.
Authorities have reported suspicious sites offering fraudulent services to the public in California, Florida, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington and other states.
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Officials have warned that these actors are there to steal personal information, like credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and health information.
According to AARP, imposters have “regularly crashed legitimate test sites,” posing as health care workers with what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned are “legitimate-looking signs, tents, hazmat suits and realistic-looking tests.”
People wait in line to be tested for the COVID-19 virus outside the Bowdoin Street Health Center, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, in Boston.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The consumer-protection agency said it has heard reports of sites claiming to have “free tests,” with customers being billed later or never receiving the promised tests.
The Wall Street Journal noted last week that public-health authorities often tightly regulate laboratories that analyzed COVID-19 tests, but don’t closely monitor sites conducting the tests.
The FTC instructs people to go to sites where they have been referred to by a doctor or the state or local health department’s website, check the source of a new testing site and contact their local police or sheriff’s office.
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For those who believe they already went to a fake site and shared their credit card information, the FTC advises consumers to dispute the charge and report fake COVID-19 testing sites to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The AARP also advises individuals to be wary of “look-alike” websites from fake testing sites and of unsolicited calls about testing sites.
“A legitimate company or health clinic will not call, text or email you…
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Source : foxnews
