This winter’s spike in COVID-19 cases has more people than ever looking for tests. This has given rise to escalated issues with phony websites and suspicious in-person testing sites that look legitimate but appear to be designed to obtain your personal and insurance information.
Individuals in various parts of the U.S. have reported fake testing sites. Most of the fraud stems from questionable websites, however, some reports to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker indicate issues at walk-in sites as well. Other questionable websites are purporting to have a relationship with a local pharmacy or medical group and offer to handle the information gathering and scheduling for your COVID-19 test.
(READ MORE: How to have a fraud-free New Year: 5 tips from the Better Business Bureau)
Many of these fake sites purchase online advertising so their website will appear in the search results when you look for a COVID-19 testing site in your area. Whether they claim to offer testing or are offering to schedule a test, typically you’re asked to complete an online appointment form and provide personal, insurance and medical information. In some cases, individuals have reported that a small fee has been collected.
Those who have ended up on a fake site have reported that on the day of their appointment, the selected pharmacy has no record of their reservation, or they went to a “local testing site” and got swabbed, but never received test results, leading them to realize that they likely were tricked into sharing their personal information.