As COVID-19 testing ramps up, Osceola County is warning residents to beware of testing scams. Florida Department of Health officials in Osceola are urging all residents to only rely on trusted sources of information for COVID-19 testing and to check to make sure a testing location is legitimate.
Spokesman Jeremy Lanier said, “We understand that lines at county supported sites for testing are long. The demand has gone up especially over the last couple of weeks, but sometimes it’s worth a wait at a trusted COVID-19 testing site as opposed to being scammed.”
He said residents should beware of unexpected phone calls or visitors offering COVID-19 tests or supplies, people selling at-home kits door-to-door, and offers for testing on social media among other red flags.“There’s been situations where people have gone to testing sites and have asked for personal information that would not normally be asked, like social security information in particular,” said Lanier. “In addition, we’ve seen some door-to-door at people’s homes and asking if they’d like to get tested and providing test kits. While we have no confirmed cases of fraud, we have seen the potential for it.
Lanier said Osceola is working with other counties across the state to keep residents aware of these potential scams. The Florida Department of Health is also warning fraudulent Covid-19 products and scams.
To report any fraud related to COVID testing, visit myfloridalegal.com, or call 1-800-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226).
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