As the nation attempts to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control, the New Mexico Attorney General is warning residents of scams relating to the COVID-19 testing process.
With the volume of demand for COVID-19 testing, patients have often become the target of scammers looking to exploit personal information or financial gain.
“New Mexicans must remain cautious during these very difficult times," Attorney General Hector Balderas said. "Citizens should ask questions of personnel at a testing site to ensure they are receiving a genuine service.”
Some scam testing operations are issuing fake negative results without having actually tested the patient. The Attorney General also listed the following as signs that the service is a scam or could be looking to exploit patient information:
- The site has no visible affiliation with local medical providers or government entities
- The site is not promptly delivering test results
- Workers at the site seem to be uninformed or confused about the testing process
- Workers at the site are not wearing masks or are not following current healthcare guidelines