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May 19th, 2020
Everyone wants a cure for the coronavirus so that we can go back to living a normal life without abiding by social distancing rules, yet it has become a challenge to see what really cures this virus. While medical professionals are working on finding an approved cure for COVID-19 to rid the world of this pandemic, scammers are hard at work creating fake coronavirus cures to confuse their victims and steal their funds.
How Do Scammers Get Away With Fake Coronavirus Cures
Scammers from different companies advertise their products as “proven to cure the coronavirus, or coronavirus symptoms.” These products range from colloidal silver, lozenges, gels, liquids, CBD products, aromatherapy essential oils, incense, tea, and more.
They go on their website and tell people of the wonders these products have done for them when curing the coronavirus. People then buy their products thinking they can save them from the coronavirus, only to be left disappointed when they don’t get them or when these products don’t work.
Letters From the FTC and FDA Have Been Sent to Companies with Fake Coronavirus Cures
The FTC and FDA sent companies who were advertising fake coronavirus cures letters reminding them that it is illegal to claim that their products can cure the coronavirus when it hasn’t been approved by the FDA. They would also need reliable scientific evidence proving that their product could cure the coronavirus before advertising it to the public.
At this time, the FTC and FDA say that there is no product that could cure the coronavirus and have not approved any business to claim such a thing. These organizations gave these certain businesses 48 hours to take down their false claims from their websites. If companies fail to abide by these letters, the FDA can enforce them by persecuting them criminally.
The FTC has some reminders for businesses:
- Advertising that claims their products can cure the coronavirus will be caught by the FTC and FDA at some point.
- Don’t market your product around the coronavirus unless you can support your claims with science.
- Social media advertising with coronavirus claims is still illegal.
Which Companies and Products Are Under Fire With These Letters?
- Jim Bakker/ The Jim Bakker Show: Silver Sol Liquid, Silver Sol Gel, and Silver Lozenges
- Herbal Amy Inc.: CBD Products
- N-Ergetics: Colloidal Silver Products
- Vital Silver: Ionic Silver
- Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd.: Essential Oils
- GuruNanda LLC: Frankincense
- Vivify Holistic Clinic: Loose Leaf Tea
How to Avoid Fake Coronavirus Cures
- Do your research, and don’t believe everything a website states. A website will tell you anything to make you buy their products and know that people are desperate in finding a cure to the coronavirus.
- Report any website that falsely advertises their products as coronavirus cures to the FTC. That way these businesses can get warning letters to where they have to update their sites. This will then prevent people from buying fake cures to the coronavirus.
- Only believe in credible sources. Rely on websites like the CDC or WHO to keep you updated on official cures to the coronavirus.
The CDC Approved Ways to Prevent Getting the Coronavirus
- Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds.
- Use hand sanitizer
- Wear a face mask while out in public
- Avoid touching your face, including your eyes, mouth, and nose
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue away
- Use cleaning spray or a wipe to clean and disinfect items that are used daily.
If you have bought fake coronavirus cure from someone and want to know who they really are, you can reverse search their information using Social Catfish! To do this, you enter any information you have of that person, such as their name, phone number, email address, social media username, or image. Then afterwards, we can see who was really selling you fake coronavirus cures so that you can report it to the FTC or local authorities.
