Fayette County Public Health (FCPH) recently released information to help avoid scams that are taking advantage of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Testing for COVID-19 is limited. Any test kits being sold online for at-home testing are not legitimate and clicking on any links for these items could lead to Malware being installed onto electronic devices.
Malware is essentially a type of software that’s designed to infiltrate, damage or gain access to a computer system. Once in the system, it is capable of doing different actions with information which compromises the information.
These links can also come through emails and text messages. People are able to send emails to cell phone numbers.
According to the information from FCPH, the organization, as well as the Ohio Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Health Organization, will never ask individuals for user names or passwords to accounts, will never email an attachment that was not requested and will never ask people to visit a link (website) that isn’t their own organization’s website.
For those who think they should be tested, they are directed to call a medical professional ahead of time to give proper notification. It is asked that a person who believes they are infected to not go directly to a medical office or emergency room.
It is requested that citizens report any suspicious communication by calling 740-335-5910.
The legitimate websites for the previous mentioned organizations are:
Reach Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355 or on Twitter @JennMWoods.
