【Babygirl (2024)】

Well that didn't take long.

Less than 24 hours after the United States Postal Service launched an official website for Americans to request free rapid coronavirus tests,Babygirl (2024) websites with suspiciously similar URLs are trying to lure people into purchasing pricey tests. That's right, the scammers are here.

For the record, the official government website for ordering free rapid tests is https://www.covidtests.gov/ (a link on that page takes visitors to https://special.usps.com/testkits). Despite the similarity, sites like covidtestsgov.com are notofficial government sites — and in fact links out to expensive rapid tests for sale.

Yeah, don't go here. Credit: Screenshot: covidtestsgov.com

And we do mean expensive. Clicking through covidtestsgov.com's "At Home COVID Test Kits" option will bring a would-be visitor to another site where rapid tests are listed for $39.97 per two pack. Again, the USPS will mail up to four tests per household free of charge.

Free, or $399.97? Credit: Screenshot: Medident Supplies

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission warned of fake in-person coronavirus testing sites. The issue of fake testing locations, in other words, is very much on the government's radar.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Notably, according to a WHOIS lookup, covidtestsgov.com was only registered on Jan. 13, 2022. Meaning, in all likelihood, the strikingly similar URL is no coincidence. Rather, it suggests an attempt to snatch up possible lookalike URLs ahead of the White House's announcement of the official free COVID test webpage.

And covidtestsgov.com isn't the only COVID testing website with an eyebrow-raising URL.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

We reached out to USPS and asked if it had any comment on these lookalike URLs, but received no immediate response. We also reached out to the White House press office in an attempt to determine why the administration's plan didn't involve locking down similar URLs ahead of the https://www.covidtests.gov/ website launch, but were unable to get anyone on the phone.

SEE ALSO: Here's how to get free COVID tests delivered to your door right now

That someone might register official-looking URLs in a bid to fleece Americans during a time of crisis should not have caught the White House by surprise. Indeed, it's a sad tradition dating at least back to the days of Hurricane Katrina.

Hopefully we've all learned something in the intervening 16 years — even if our elected officials haven't.

Topics COVID-19

• Tech
• Life
• Deals
• Digital Culture
• Social Good
• Games
• Shopping
• Science

• Best soundbar deal: Save $300 on the Sonos Arc
• Pairing CPUs and GPUs: PC Upgrades and Bottlenecking
• Google AI Mode is launching us into a new era of AI search
• Google AI Mode is launching us into a new era of AI search
• Study trains Port Jackson sharks to respond to jazz music
• 5 Affordable Last
• The Most Disappointing PC Games of 2017
• A Year Later, You Can Still Upgrade to Windows 10 for Free
• Gmail search just got a lot smarter, thanks to AI
• Use Gmail Offline and Enable Email Scheduling & Snoozing

• Viral YouTube video lambasts Disney's Star Wars hotel via 4
• Tencent's gaming division made nearly $25 billion in revenue in 2023 · TechNode
• Alibaba’s grocery unit head steps down in latest overhaul: report · TechNode
• BYD aims to sell 500,000 EVs overseas this year: report · TechNode
• Memorial Day 2024: Up to 70% off sex toys
• Best gift card deals: Save up to 20% on Lyft, Taco Bell, DoorDash, and more
• Home Depot Memorial Day sale: Save on grills, pizza ovens, power tools, and outdoor furniture
• Memorial Day home deals: Shop discounts on mattresses, Dyson vacuums, and more
• Xpeng posts positive quarter margin, but less than rivals · TechNode
• ZhipuAI secures state

• Best Amazon deal: Get a $5 Amazon credit when you spend $30 on home essentials
• I'm a college professor. My advice to young people who feel hooked on tech
• SimCity 2000 is the Most Important Game I've Ever Played
• The Steam Machine: What Went Wrong
• Best Samsung deal: Save $60 on 64GB Samsung Galaxy Tab A9
• A Year Later, You Can Still Upgrade to Windows 10 for Free
• The Most Disappointing PC Games of 2017
• Why Building a Gaming PC Right Now is a Bad Idea, Part 2: Insane Graphics Card Prices
• The strangeness of Japan's decision to start openly hunting whales
• Parental Controls: How to Lock Down Your Kids' iOS Devices

• NYT Connections hints and answers for April 26: Tips to solve 'Connections' #685.
• One of Android's Easter Eggs is a Flappy Bird
• The Last Mile to Civilization 2.0: Technologies From Our Not Too Distant Future
• Use Gmail Filters to Automate your Inbox
• NYT mini crossword answers for May 12, 2025
• The State of the Nintendo Switch
• Useful or Little Known Android Features
• Reality Distortion Field: 10 Things Apple Won't Directly Say But We'll Infer About the iPhone X
• 4GHz CPU Battle: AMD 2nd
• Ryzen 5 1600X vs. 1600: Which should you buy?