The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday warned the public against persons posing as part of the government’s contact tracing team to trick them into paying for spurious coronavirus testing.
In a statement, Interior Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the scammers sent text messages or called up individuals, telling them that they had been identified as close contacts of a COVID-19 patient, and that they needed to undergo testing and pay for it.
“We ask the public to be vigilant. Let us not easily trust these people calling or texting and asking for money. If there is money involved, that is a scam,” Malaya said.
He said legitimate contact tracing teams from the government would never ask for money.
Threatened with penalties
Malaya said the modus operandi was based on reports from the DILG Region 3, with individuals passing themselves off as members of a contact tracing team and asking people to undergo COVID-19 testing within 72 hours because of their supposed close contact with a COVID-positive case.
The scammers would then ask for their credit card number or other financial details, saying the test kits cost $50 (P2,456) each.
Should people hesitate or refuse to take the test, the scammers would threaten them with penalties.
Malaya urged scam victims to report such incidents to the nearest police station or to the DILG through hotline 911.