Warning as people asked to pay for COVID-19 test results in NSW

Residents in NSW are being warned about scam text messages offering to confirm positive coronavirus test results or asking for donations.

NSW Health has issued a warning over scam text messages offering to confirm positive coronavirus test results.

The government department also warned of scammers asking for donations to NSW Health, and seeking donations to BreastScreen NSW.

It comes as more than 83,000 people in NSW have come forward to get tested for COVID-19 in recent days amid the cluster of cases on the northern beaches. Now tens of thousands of people are self-isolating and anxiously waiting for their results.

“NSW Health is aware of #COVID-19 scam text messages asking for donations or confirming positive COVID-19 test results,” NSW Health said today. “NSW Health is also aware of a scam asking for donations for @BreastScreenNSW.”

While NSW Health will confirm negative COVID-19 test results via text message, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by NSW Health via phone.

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Record numbers of people have been tested in NSW in recent days as NSW Health works to stamp out the northern beaches cluster. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

NSW Health will never seek donations or notify people of positive COVID-19 results by text message. If you test positive for COVID-19 you will get a phone call from NSW Health as a priority and told what to do next.

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 22, 2020

About 44,466 people were tested for coronavirus in the 24 hours to 8pm last night — a record number of tests for the state. This broke the previous record which had been set the day before, when 38,578 people were tested.

NSW Health also said people being contacted by the department might be called by a private number. The department urged people who had been tested to “please pick up private calls when waiting to hear back about test results.

Yesterday the state reported eight locally acquired cases of COVID-19, seven of which were linked to the Avalon cluster. Two of the positive cases are people who live within the northern beaches.

It takes the total number of cases in the Avalon cluster to 90.

NSW Health said in a statement its investigation into the source of the outbreak remains “under investigation”.

If you think you have received a scam text, report it online at crimestoppers.com.au or call 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Warning as people asked to pay for COVID-19 test results in NSW