Galesburg Reporter

State Rep. Randy Frese (R-Quincy) is warning Illinois residents to be leery of COVID testing scams, adding “fake COVID testing sites and at-home tests are popping up across the United States.”

Frese recently posted the link to a Peoria Journal Star story on his website that offered advice on “how to avoid getting scammed.”

COVID sites are considered to be businesses and not regulated by the Illinois Department of Public Health. As such, experts advise it’s best to get tested at a site affiliated with a known entity, like a pharmacy, a doctor's office or the Illinois Department of Public Health.

With Chicago facing its worst-COVID-19 surge on record and city officials becoming even more aggressive in urging people to get vaccinated, unregulated pop-up testing sites run by various companies have started crop up all over the city.

Complaints against non-regulated sites have included results that never come in, workers not wearing masks or gloves, workers telling people with insurance to claim they are uninsured and lines that stretch out the doors, making social distancing next to impossible.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has recently referred to some of the sites as “fly-by-night” operations and has directed the Illinois Attorney General’s office to investigate.

Several city residents told Block Club Chicago they no longer trust the pop-up operations, even though they offer the only testing options in their neighborhoods.

Back in 2020, the Federal Trade Commission warned that “not every COVID-19 testing site is legit” and recommended that individuals looking to get tested either contact a doctor or look at their local or state health departments’ websites to find testing sites.

Individuals looking to voice complaints about missing results, a testing site’s protocols or other issues can call the Illinois Department of Public Health at 800-252-4343, and people who feel they have experienced fraud or other criminal activity are asked to contact their local police or the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.