Tarrant County District Attorney's Office Warns Of Potentially Fraudulent COVID-19 Testing Sites

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - As more North Texans look to get tested for COVID-19, the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office is urging caution when it comes deciding where to go to get tested.

The DA's Office said it's aware some sites in the state of Texas are fake and people running them are out to steal your personal information in the process.

So how do you figure out which testing sites you can trust and which ones you can't?

There isn't one specific thing you can ask for to make sure a COVID-19 testing site is legitimate, but there are a few red flags that can help you decide if you should stay or leave.

"I did like the COVID test near me but nothing had appointments, so I had to just like go up there and ask," Cristal Ramirez of Fort Worth said.

Like many people across town, Ramirez has struggled to find a COVID-19 test.

"It's been really hard like," Ramirez said. "Then target and stuff that sell the at home ones, they don't have any."

"We have not had any cases presented to us yet dealing with fake COVID testing sites but we are aware it's happening across the state and across the nation," Tarrant County District Attorney's Chief of White Collar Crimes Unit, Lloyd Whelchel said.

"The first thing is to check on them before you go, look up anything you can find, hopefully it's a business," Better Business Bureau Fort Worth Regional Director, Amy Rasor said.

She also said you should look for reviews and see what other people are saying about the business and or testing site.

Experts also said you should not give your social security number or any credit card information.

Lastly, don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for people's credentials at the testing site.

Ramirez said she know she not to give personal information but she's worried after seeing some questionable locations.

"I've seen some other places outside of other places like buildings, with just a table — that looks sketchy to me," Ramirez said.

The BBB and Tarrant County Criminal DA's Office said it's better to be safe than sorry, if you do see any red flags, it's best to just leave and report it to your local authorities.