Red Cross warns public vs fake booking sites, agents for swab tests

CHEAPER TEST Philippine Red Cross chair and CEO Sen. Richard Gordon leads the saliva test launching in Mandaluyong City in this file photo taken in January 2021. INQUIRER file photo / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Wednesday warned the public against fake booking sites and agents who are offering swab tests.

In a statement, PRC concurrent chairman and Senator Richard Gordon said the agency received reports about scammers pretending to be official PRC members and convincing their victims to send payments into their personal bank accounts, promising that they could book swab test appointments for the victim.

“Many people are having a hard time because of the pandemic,” Gordon said. “Don’t take advantage of the situation to scam people.”

The PRC said the public could only book and pay through the PRC’s official booking site: book.redcross.org.ph and dashlabs.ai.

Gordon reminded the public “not to be deceived by people who are asking to book any other methods than this.”

Those who encounter the said scam could report the incident to Red Cross hotline 1158.

PRC still leads nationwide when it comes to the number of COVID-19 RT-PCR tests conducted with 3.5 million tests nationwide, accounting for more than 25 percent of nationwide testing.

JPV