A warning from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): there are fake at-home rapid COVID testing kits which are for sale online. And desperate customers are buying them and getting scammed.
In a press release from the FTC: "It’s not a surprise that, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, fake and unauthorized at-home testing kits are popping up online as opportunistic scammers take advantage of the spike in demand. Using these fake products isn’t just a waste of money, it increases your risk of unknowingly spreading COVID-19 or not getting the appropriate treatment."
Here's what to do:
Make sure you are purchasing a test which has FDA authorization.
Investigate before you buy a kit - google the company's name along with words like "complaint" or "scam".
Read reviews online from different websites.
And use a credit card to pay for the test, so if there's any issue with the legitimacy of the test kit, your credit card company can dispute the transaction.
photo: Getty Images