Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
Cantwell Calls on Federal Trade Commission to Investigate Fraudulent COVID Tests
Hearing followed complaints by local officials, lawsuit filed by Washington state Attorney General
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Cantwell, Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate fraudulent COVID-19 tests during a U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security hearing.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, consumers across the country have been victimized by a range of scams related to COVID-19, including fake COVID-19 tests, cures, price gouging, phishing scams. And these are more than just an annoyance they put the lives of individuals really at risk… The alleged fraud has serious consequences. And I want to make sure that consumers in Washington have confidence to go get these tests… so I hope that that the FTC will look into this matter,” said Senator Cantwell.
Concerns had been raised by City of Lakewood officials, KING 5 and other local outlets about the testing company’s handling of COVID tests. On Monday, Washington state Attorney General Ferguson filed a lawsuit against Illinois-based company Center for COVID Control alleging that the company misled consumers about how long it would take to get test results, provided invalid test results, and failed to properly store test samples. The company had at least 13 sites in Washington state and hundreds more across the country.
As Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Senator Cantwell has been an advocate for strengthening consumer protections and increasing resources for the FTC to investigate complaints and take strong enforcement action. Senator Cantwell’s legislation, the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, was enacted last Congress, providing the FTC expanded enforcement authority for scams and deceptive practices related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can find video of Senator Cantwell’s opening statement at the hearing HERE, audio HERE, and a transcript HERE.
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