Lawmakers Call for Answers on COVID-19 Antibody Test Scams

Four House lawmakers have called on FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons to explain what the agencies are doing to protect consumers from COVID-19 antibody test scams.

In a letter to the FDA and FTC heads, Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) cited “troubling reports about fraudulent antibody test scams occurring in consumer marketplaces.”

Last month, the FBI warned that scammers are marketing fraudulent or unapproved antibody tests to consumers in order to obtain their sensitive personal information, which can then be used for identity theft or insurance schemes.

Among other questions, the lawmakers asked what resources the agencies are using to assess the extent of the scams and what actions they are taking against those involved.