Authorities in Kentucky caution against deceptive COVID-19 testing sites which promise quick results for cash while actually stealing people’s DNA and personal information.
A self-proclaimed medical marketing company established makeshift testing sites outside churches in Louisville, where workers in hazmat gear charged $240 per test and stole people’s DNA and personal information.
In Louisville, scammers in doctor attire offered fake coronavirus tests in exchange for $240 in a convenience store parking lot, also gathering credit card information and social security numbers to commit identity theft.
According to the NYT, the scammers managed to deceive 100 people before fleeing.
Metro Council President David James and Louisville advocates have been pursuing the individuals behind these fake COVID-19 tests, as reported by WDRB.
James remarked, “It’s really Medicaid fraud, is what it actually is. There is no reason that you should spend $240 dollars for a COVID test.” He also highlighted the unsanitary practice of reusing gloves on multiple individuals.
Officials suspect that the group may be from Illinois, as they believe the same individuals previously advertised DNA testing for diseases last year.
“They’re the scum of the Earth and they’re preying on the poorest of the poor, and I’m going to do everything in my power to get them the [explicit] out of Kentucky,” James asserted.