Amid rocketing COVID-19 cases brought on by the Omicron variant, Oregon authorities are warning people to beware of sketchy COVID testing sites. The state Attorney General鈥檚 Office issued the warning, saying bad actors and businesses will try to score a quick buck during desperate times.
Kristina Edmundson of the Oregon Department of Justice told KLCC that there are red flags to look for with pop-up testing sites that may not be the real deal.
鈥淏e aware of any testing site asking for sensitive information that鈥檚 not your health
insurance information,鈥� said Edmundson. 鈥淪o that would be a social security (or) a passport number, something really kind of 鈥榦ff鈥� in terms of asking for information like that.鈥�
Edmundson says to look for testing sites that display logos of established organizations, or are listed in the Oregon Health Authority鈥檚 testing locator. She encourages anyone suspicious of a potentially fake COVID testing site to report them via the Oregon Department of Justice鈥檚 website or the Attorney General鈥檚 Consumer hotline.
Additionally, COVID-conscious consumers are being warned about inflated prices for at-home testing kits.
Edmundson says with cases surging from the Omicron variant, some people are selling kits at excessive mark-ups. 鈥滻 just did a quick search and I found tests in my local community here in Oregon that were going for $50 for one test that you might buy in a pharmacy,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd of course, on average, those tests are usually about $10.鈥�
Individuals are selling testing kits online on Craig鈥檚 List, NextDoor, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace. Edmundson says if you鈥檙e seeing overpriced testing kits online or at convenience stores, to contact the Oregon Attorney General鈥檚 Office.
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