In the midst of a record of COVID-19 infections, virus testing sites are emerging in the most varied corners - shopping center parking lots, next to churches and roads - that while helping with a high demand from patients infected with the virus , in rare cases they can be a mere scam.
Lawmakers and attorneys general in several states, including
Illinois, Maryland, California, Texas, and Pennsylvania
, have warned of rogue COVID-19 testing sites conducting fraudulent activities such as identity theft.
Some spaces do carry out the test, but they may not be approved and have unsanitary conditions, they warn.
Sandra Jaramillo, a 32-year-old from San Antonio, fears that she fell into one of these places when she was desperately searching for a test so she could return to work.
"
I feel like I'm being ripped off
," the young woman, who has been waiting for the results for more than a week, told NBC News.
4 million infections are registered by COVID-19 only in the first week of 2022 in the United States.
Jan. 7, 202201: 13
Jaramillo went to a temporary testing site set up in a church parking lot near his home because he had symptoms such as a headache and fever.
They asked him for personal information such as his driver's license number, date of birth and email address.
“It was terrible.
It feels like there is no other option or where to go [for a test], ”laments Jaramillo.
"With more and more people looking for evidence, scammers may be exploiting this lawsuit
to steal personal, financial or medical information,
" explained Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in an alert issued this week about these new scams.
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Reports of bogus or unhealthy testing sites abound in the country.
In the past few days, one has emerged in the parking lot of a shopping center on the outskirts of St. Louis that police closed on suspicions of fraudulent activity, and of two others in Baltimore, who were gathering information for identity theft.
In Chicago, a site was identified where workers were not wearing masks or gloves amid conditions of care described as "hell," according to the nonprofit news organization Block Club Chicago.
"Unauthorized COVID-19 testing sites are popping up across the city," the San Francisco Department of Health said in an advisory on Twitter on Friday.
Patients
can also be victims of possible scams with the tests that are carried out at home
and that some supposed private laboratories offer online, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted this week.
How to identify a fake test site
Officials and experts have provided some clues that help identify these illegitimate or unauthorized COVID-19 testing spaces.
They have no affiliation with local medical providers or government entities.
They do not deliver the test results in the stipulated time (or never).
Workers appear to be unfamiliar with the testing process, do not wear masks, or do not follow health protocols for taking the sample or guidelines for dealing with patients.
Abnormal or strange situations can also be observed to detect if
there are people in the area of a
legitimate test site who do not belong to the laboratory or the company.
Are they dressed the same as the other health workers on site?
Are they in or around the test area?
Do they pressure patients for personal information?
One of the keys to identifying that it is an authorized COVID-19 testing site is that workers wear protective equipment and comply with sanitary protocols when taking samples, as in this space in Washington, south of Seattle .
Ted S. Warren / AP
In Sarasota, south of Tampa, police were warned of people posing as doctors, offering false evidence on site at Ed Smith Stadium and asking patients for personal information.
There, a woman without protective gear gave those in line a Ziploc bag with a swab test, a patient told local station WFLA.
Then he saw a man
collect samples and throw them away
.
Disallowed sites may also try to
gain attention by offering the trial for free.
Such may have been the case with a test site in San Diego County, California, which offered free, 48-hour testing.
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The county's own medical director, Eric McDonald, found the place and publicly warned that it appeared to be an unauthorized space.
The alleged person in charge of the place denied that it was the case, but the signage did not indicate which laboratory or association was in charge and a worker was wearing a Chargers sweatshirt instead of a medical uniform, reported the local channel 7 of the NBC network.
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In addition, it should be
checked whether the associations are real
.
A good way is to check with your GP for a legitimate or recommended site.
In Philadelphia, more than 4,000 people were tested in tents in busy areas of the city that were run by
an organization that falsely identified itself
as associated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. .
To protect yourself from home testing scams
Before purchasing a home test or providing personal information to companies offering home testing services, particularly online, it is recommended to verify the legitimacy of the product.
It is important to make sure that the test you are purchasing is authorized.
The FDA has online lists of approved molecular and antigen tests.
Products should only be purchased from a legitimate and well established store or website.
Online you can get information about the company or the name of the seller, and possible problems by searching the internet for the words "scams", "complaints" or "review".
Experts recommend comparing different reviews on a variety of web pages, and checking whether the review was done by a specialist or by a customer.
Special care should be taken with private companies that offer free or reduced-cost home testing services, especially if they require private information to schedule an appointment.
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The FDA also has a list of untested or illegal products that are being used to profit from the pandemic.
These items are not only ineffective, but could also endanger the health of patients.
Since the pandemic began, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also received
more than 193,000 reports
of identity theft related to COVID-19
.
Scams can be reported on the FTC website.
