The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent out an alert Tuesday advising citizens to check the authenticity of COVID-19 test kits before purchasing them online by confirming they’re on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approved vendor list.
The consumer warning comes as scammers capitalize on the short supply of COVID test kits, resulting in a rise in fake or unauthorized at-home testing kits, per the FTC.
The FDA said that, while there are hundreds of FDA-approved COVID test kits currently available on the market, fakes are also prevalent. Consumers can avoid purchasing a fake test kit by clicking here to confirm an at-home test kit is on its approved list of vendors.
