LA County Officials Warn of Fake COVID-19 Tests, Identity Theft

A registered nurse stirs a nasal swab in testing solution after administering a COVID-19 test at Sameday Testing on July 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES—Local officials are warning of fraudulent COVID-19 tests online and at pop-up COVID-19 testing locations, as the demand for COVID-19 tests surges along with infections due to the Omicron variant.

Sellers of fake tests are also stealing patient data for purposes of identity theft, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.