New York State Warns to Watch Out For At-Home COVID Testing Scams

It seems that nothing is safe when it comes to scams.  The government recently announced that all Americans are eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-⁠19 tests. The tests are completely free, and will usually ship within  7-12 days.

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The scam that New York is warning its residents about, is that scammers are looking to take advantage of the free COVID-19 test government program to steal your personal information. With the high demand for the tests in the newly launched program, scammers are posing as online providers of the free tests and looking to scam you out of your personal info.

Acting Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said:

The arrival of the COVID-19 free at-home tests is one more tool in the fight to end this brutal pandemic, but unfortunately, it also creates new opportunities for unscrupulous scammers to attempt to lure people into unintentionally providing their personal information.

The state wants New Yorkers to know that the  ONLY website for the free at-home test kits is https://www.covidtests.gov/

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection offered the following recommendations so that you can avoid being a victim of an at-home COVID test scam:

• Don’t click on links from sources you don’t know.
• Be aware of emails coming from unknown senders.
• Ignore emails or websites online offering at-home tests or claiming you can get your kits sooner.
• Be aware of emails asking for personal information.
• Hang up on illegal robocallers.
• Remember, government websites will always end in “.gov” and will use “HTTPS” in their URL.

The federal government is also recommending that you order your tests now so that you have them when you need them.  You can order your tests by CLICKING HERE.