Shopping online has undoubtedly made life easier during the pandemic; But looking where and what you buy is essential to avoid headaches. Such is the case of Covid tests: The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned that fake tests are being sold and what to watch out for when buying them online to avoid, above all, misleading results.
With the historical increase in Covid-19 infections in the world and the need for tests to confirm a diagnosis, tests have become a highly valued object in pharmacies, self-service stores and online shopping sites, so “It’s no surprise that, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bogus self-test kits are popping up on the internet and unauthorized offered by opportunistic scammers taking advantage of increased demand, ”says a statement from the FTC.
The problem with buying a fake Covid test is not only the fraud itself and the loss of your money, but there is a chance of unknowingly spreading the disease by receiving a negative result from any of these inaccurate tests, or by not receiving proper treatment if you are actually having the disease.
If you want to buy online Covid tests and other related products, the FTC recommends considering the following:
– Verify that the test you are going to buy online is either in the list of antigen diagnostic tests, or, in the list of molecular diagnostic tests authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the home.
– Check the history or reputation of the seller with whom you are going to buy the online test. The FTC recommends searching on Google for the name of the site where you are going to buy, along with the words “scam”, “complaint” or “review” (“scam”, “complaint” or “comment” in Spanish) to obtain the Buyers’ opinion of the site that sells the tests.
– Take into account the comments that the company that sells the tests has received from its customers on different internet sites. You can get an idea of the trustworthiness of a company, product or service by reading the opinions it receives on different websites.
– Use a credit card to pay. Thus, in the event of any claim or if you do not receive the order, you can speak with your bank to request a return.
If you have any experience of fraud with a company or online site, you can go to this FTC site to make a report and prevent other people from going through the same experience.
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+ Covid: Cloth masks do NOT fully protect against Omicron
eldiariony.com
Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.