The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has reached a stipulated consent judgment in Dane County with Aleya Siyaj and Akbar Syed, doing business as Center for COVID Control, LLC, to address concerns with the company’s misleading advertising related to COVID-19 tests.
During a period of approximately 14 months from December 2, 2020 to January 21, 2022, the Center for COVID Control, LLC provided advertising, marketing, website optimization, a consumer call center, transportation and other support services to Doctors Clinical Laboratory, Inc. This included the establishment of twenty-five collection sites in Wisconsin, six of which were in Dane County, where people could provide biological samples for COVID-19 testing.
With the intent of increasing utilization of testing services available at collection sites in Wisconsin, Center for COVID Control, LLC advertised and promoted these testing services and collection sites to the public through website advertising enhanced with Google search engine optimization, social media posts and physical signage. Online ads indicated that individuals who provided a biological sample for a free “gold standard” reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 test would have their test results mailed to them electronic within 48 hours. Contrary to these representations, individuals who used RT-PCR tests at their Wisconsin collection sites did not receive test results within this time frame.
“Misleading ads are a common problem,” said Lara Sutherlin, administrator of DATCP’s Division of Trade and Consumer Protection. “It’s unfair to consumers when companies make promises they can’t keep, but even more so when that business involves public health. It’s likely that many people who received tests from the Center for COVID Control were drawn to their commitment to results within 48 hours. Dropping the ball on a service as vital as COVID-19 testing is unacceptable to consumers.”
The Stipulated Consent Judgment holds Aleya Siyaj and Akbar Syed jointly and severally liable for the payment of civil forfeitures totaling $11,250, as well as $11,250 in legal fees, legal fees and partial reimbursement of the investigative costs of the DATCP, for a total of $22500. to the Dane County Clerk of Court.
For more information and consumer protection resources or to file a complaint, visit DATCP’s consumer protection webpage at ConsumerProtection.wi.gov. If you have questions or believe you are the victim of a scam, please report it by contacting the DATCP Consumer Protection Hotline by phone at (800) 422-7128 or by email at DATCPHotline@wi.gov .
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