Well that didn't take long.
Less than 24 hours after the United States Postal Service launched an official website for Americans to request free rapid coronavirus tests,Yoo Jung websites with suspiciously similar URLs are trying to lure people into purchasing pricey tests. That's right, the scammers are here.
For the record, the official government website for ordering free rapid tests is https://www.covidtests.gov/ (a link on that page takes visitors to https://special.usps.com/testkits). Despite the similarity, sites like covidtestsgov.com are notofficial government sites — and in fact links out to expensive rapid tests for sale.
Yeah, don't go here. Credit: Screenshot: covidtestsgov.com And we do mean expensive. Clicking through covidtestsgov.com's "At Home COVID Test Kits" option will bring a would-be visitor to another site where rapid tests are listed for $39.97 per two pack. Again, the USPS will mail up to four tests per household free of charge.
Free, or $399.97? Credit: Screenshot: Medident Supplies Last week, the Federal Trade Commission warned of fake in-person coronavirus testing sites. The issue of fake testing locations, in other words, is very much on the government's radar.
Notably, according to a WHOIS lookup, covidtestsgov.com was only registered on Jan. 13, 2022. Meaning, in all likelihood, the strikingly similar URL is no coincidence. Rather, it suggests an attempt to snatch up possible lookalike URLs ahead of the White House's announcement of the official free COVID test webpage.
And covidtestsgov.com isn't the only COVID testing website with an eyebrow-raising URL.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
We reached out to USPS and asked if it had any comment on these lookalike URLs, but received no immediate response. We also reached out to the White House press office in an attempt to determine why the administration's plan didn't involve locking down similar URLs ahead of the https://www.covidtests.gov/ website launch, but were unable to get anyone on the phone.
SEE ALSO: Here's how to get free COVID tests delivered to your door right nowThat someone might register official-looking URLs in a bid to fleece Americans during a time of crisis should not have caught the White House by surprise. Indeed, it's a sad tradition dating at least back to the days of Hurricane Katrina.
Hopefully we've all learned something in the intervening 16 years — even if our elected officials haven't.
Topics COVID-19
Previous：Double-Blind
A wild theory about why Trump left Twitter out of his big tech summitNew site visualises how you rode with Uber in 2016Amazon Prime Video arrives in Australia, but is it even worth it?An open letter from photojournalists demands encryption in cameras#WakeyLeaks is college football's delightfully absurd spy scandalGoodbye Pirate Bay: It's D'Apocalypse' singer to perform national anthem at Trump inaugurationTallest wave ever recorded could have swamped the White House5 things to do right now if your Yahoo account was hackedHow fans pay the price for the NBA's grueling scheduleThe polar vortex is going to punch you in the face, repeatedlyGov. Brown: California will launch its 'own damn' climate satellites under TrumpGenius site tracks the Twitter apologies issued by UK transport companiesTransgender artist bravely chronicles her transition in simple comicsStop rating flight attendants on how hot they areDonald Trump and Peter Thiel have a secret handshake, I guessUber might now be able to charge thrice as much in IndiaInstead of giving tickets, this police department is asking for toys for children in needIMDb meets Bollywood, launches 'India Spotlight'Check out this collection of 14,000 'Jerry Maguire' VHS tapes An Intimate History of America The Inventions of Witches Create a Spotify playlist with your Valentine to see your compatibility How the Grinch Self 'Squid Game: The Challenge' review: Is this a show designed exclusively to be hate Puerto Rico Sketchbook: The Comic A 1984 Film’s Bleak, Brutal Depiction of Nuclear Winter Still Haunts Today Black Friday MacBook deals: M1, M2, and M3 at record lows Staff Picks: Sohyang, Sacred Deer, and Steamers by The Paris Review Borg is the latest example of TikTok making campus life a spectacle The Surprising History (and Future) of Paperweights Wordle today: The answer and hints for November 22 ChatGPT could be writing a lot of Valentine’s Day cards this year The Schizophrenic Sentence by Jeff Dolven Football fans are betting on the Gatorade shower color. What color was it? A Mother’s Ninth Why TikTok is urging you to ditch anything 'low vibrational' On Basquiat, the Black Body, and a Strange Sensation in My Neck Walmart Plus free trial: How to sign up for Black Friday 2023 deals Mark Twain's Get
1.781s , 10128.2734375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Yoo Jung】,Evergreen Information Network
