FTC sends more than 120 warnings about false coronavirus treatments
The Federal Trade Commission is calling out companies for advertising that their products can treat or cure COVID-19.
Not so fast with that credit card; be careful out there.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The old adage still applies when it comes to COVID-19 treatments. There aren't yet any known products to cure or treat the disease, but that hasn't stopped individuals and companies from trying the marketing angle, and it's costing consumers millions of dollars.
The US Federal Trade Commission recently sent 45 letters to companies it said were falsely advertising about product capabilities, bringing the total warning letter count to more than 120, the agency said Thursday. Ads and product descriptions are in violation of federal law if the claims made are "deceptive or scientifically unproven," the agency said.
Treatments marketed by these companies ranged from audio CDs of frequencies to resist the coronavirus , high doses of intravenous vitamin C, Chinese herbs, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, ozone therapy, bio-electric shields, HEPA air purifiers, UV light therapy and others, the FTC said.
The full list companies in question is available on the FTC website. The FTC is also working to stop COVID-19 related robocalls.
The warned companies are required to immediately cease making any claims that their products are cures or treatments for the coronavirus. They're also required to report back within 48 hours detailing how they've addressed the FTC's concerns. The FTC says it'll follow up with companies that don't immediately respond.
Be sure you know how to protect yourself from coronavirus health scams. If you see false claims regarding COVID-19, you can report them to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.
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