Residents concerned about DNA-for-cash transactions in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – People are giving DNA samples to a guy in a white van for $20.

It’s been happening in some of Louisville’s poorest neighborhoods. However, the offer is only available to Passport customers.

Some told WAVE 3 News that something didn’t feel right after they gave their DNA.

The people taking and paying for those samples have been showing up in areas of west Louisville like Portland and Russell, and even homeless camps around Kentucky. They ask participants to swab the inside of their cheeks. Some people who participated said they were told it was a test for cancer.

“When you do your homework on it, you come to a dead end,” said David, a man who gave his DNA after the car came to his street for at least two days in a row.

Employees operating from a white, unmarked van have been setting up shop in minority neighborhoods across Louisville for more than a month. They return day after day, handing out cash in exchange for DNA samples from Passport Health customers like Martha Mask.

“They said, ‘Swab 10 times on each side,’” Mask said. “At the time, I was at my downlow and I needed that change.”