Beware of bogus COVID-19 testing sites

February 22, 2022

As if there isn’t enough to worry about right now, Modern Healthcare reports the existence of fraudulent mobile testing sites that promise results but really only take your money and put your personal data at risk.

Officials in some states say it’s hard to catch up with these bad actors, as it’s easy for a “testing tent” or “testing van” to move onto another location.

“It’s not a surprise that these conditions were totally ripe for consumers to be gouged and to get fraudulent tests,” Gigi Gronvall, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security told Modern Healthcare.

The Attorney Generals in Oregon and Washington states have separately announced an investigation and litigation against an Illinois-based company called The Center for COVID Control, which has been accused of operating suspicious test sites.

“Center for COVID Control contributed to the spread of COVID-19 when it provided false negative results,” Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a news release.

“These sham testing centers threatened the health and safety of our communities,” Fergonson said. “They must be held accountable.”

What can consumers do?

Kristen Edmunson, a spokesperson for the Oregon AG, set out some common-sense precautions in a recent interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting. They include:

  • Look out for testing sites charging out-of-pocket fees, asking for sensitive personal or financial information.
  • Beware of signing up for a test on a website that lacks logos or contact information.
  • Visit testing sites recommended by a trusted entity, such as your doctor, insurance nurse or state health agency.
  • Avoid individuals who are selling tests at inflated prices in online markets, such as Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

The federal Food and Drug Administration recommends making sure the FDA has authorized any quick or over-the-counter test. A list of authorized tests is available here.

If you’re visiting a testing facility or pop-up site, Kristine Grow, a spokesperson for AHIP, a trade group for health plans, told Modern Healthcare: “In general, a test site operator seeking payment from a health plan for administering a COVID test must have a national provider identifier, which comes from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Have you or someone you know been a victim of a bogus test or test site? Share your experience with Voices for Affordable Health.