SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal assistance for low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

April 11, 2020

FAKE CORONAVIRUS TEST KITS

The torrent of Covid-19 scams seems unstoppable. Fake test kits are being peddled by door-to-door scammers.

The scammers are playing on fear and uncertainty about if or when tests will be more widely available and before proper home test kits become available online and in pharmacies (if that ever happens).

In an urgency, many consumers are falling for the doorstep con and handing over $50 for a worthless “test.” In some cases, victims say sellers claim they need to do the test themselves and have entered their homes and stolen items.

Don’t fall for this. Research shows that even genuine kits that are arriving from China are only 40% accurate. And if reliable home tests do become available, they’re unlikely to come from front door solicitors.

In the absence of a reliable home test, the best way to check for the infection and avoid wasting $50 is to monitor your personal health, looking out for symptoms.

Need to know more? Visit the new coronavirus.gov official site for information.

You can do your friends and families a favor by passing on this warning to them.

Attribution: scambusters.org