Investigators are calling these a storefront scam. The company is headquartered in Rolling Meadows and is now indicted in a civil suit of false, deceptive and fraudulent conduct at COVID testing clinics at hundreds of locations in metro Chicago and the Midwest.
Related | Center for COVID Control halts testing at locations in Chicago area, US
From social media pitches to pop-ups at strip malls, the Center for COVID Control (CCC) is facing a fraud lawsuit filed by Minnesota’s attorney general.
“These entities collected samples from Minnesota for COVID 19 testing, but either failed to provide test results or provided test results that were false or inaccurate,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said.
“Well, they will either not process the test in time so that it cannot be released in time, or they will lose the actual result for the test, or they will never have processed the test at all,” pre-COVID Center control employee Michael Pino told the i-team.
Pino says that when he worked at CCC Headquarters from September to the end of December, there were so many tests coming in for processing that they were put in garbage bags.
“They came across these garbage bags and we counted them on the floor of an office building, like where the computers are installed and everything. So we had to find a good place to count in that area. First. The two bags I had of computers. Counted on the floor next to it,” said Pino.
Pino says he was instructed to lie to customers about their test results. “I was told to do whatever it takes to please them and to be good about it.”
“The dates were changing at all. If your test was being late, nine times out of 10 we were probably changing your date to the date of your test, rather than the date your test would actually be processed.” Was,” former Centers for COVID Control employee Tina Morales.
Minnesota officials say such stories are part of their case.
“The increased sample collection at their location in Illinois led to a chaotic scene, where they were unable to store all the samples that arrived. They were talking about 8-10 thousand samples a day, for a maximum of 2 refrigerators, said Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Noah Llewellyn.
We have not heard from the owners of the company, Aliya Siaz and Akbar Ali Syed. They live in St. Charles. But the swabbing places, some containing little more than converted trailers, have been “stopped” for the past few days. According to a statement, the high demand for the service has stressed the employees. The owners said additional training would be underway, but now with the government’s action against them, there is no word on reopening.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raul says his office is also investigating complaints against the Center for COVID Control.
Full statement from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raul:
We have opened an investigation at the Center for COVID Control and they will follow the evidence and suggestions where they lead. Our understanding is that at this time, the Company has voluntarily suspended its operations. In the meantime, we have contacted the Company to demand that it immediately cease engaging in any deceptive or fraudulent conduct relating to permissible charges or when test results are received, and to confirm that this State is in compliance with the law. It is important to note that pop-up testing locations are not currently regulated by a government agency, and we are investigating to determine if there has been a violation of Illinois law. While we are committed to conducting our investigation as efficiently as possible, our first priority is a thorough investigation that results in the best protection of Illinois residents.
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