Unmasking sellers of bogus COVID-19 prevention claims

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Even though the COVID-19 health emergency is over, many Americans continue to struggle with treatment for illness ― and the FTC will continue go after bad actors who trick people with claims about their products. Case in point: The sellers of The 1 Virus Buster Invisible Mask ― also advertised as The 1 Virus Buster Card ― claim their product gives you an invisible, three-foot barrier of protection against 99.99% of airborne diseases, including COVID-19. Hard to believe? The FTC agrees. Read on to learn more.

In the FTC’s latest fake COVID claims case, the makers of The Invisible Mask said their product protected you from COVID-19 and other diseases with 30 days of airborne protection. But the FTC complaint says the people and companies behind those claims don’t have scientific evidence to back up their prevention claims. The FTC also says the defendants claimed Invisible Mask was FDA-approved…when it’s not.

The proposed court order bars certain defendants from making more unsubstantiated claims, and orders them to pay up, including some money back to the people they tricked. Litigation will continue against one defendant.

When it comes to spotting unsupported claims about the prevention, treatment, or cure of COVID-19, and other health problems:

• Ask your doctor. If you’re curious about a product that claims to treat any disease, talk to your doctor or health care provider about it.
• Stay informed. Visit MedlinePlus.gov, a site operated by the National Institutes of Health and Healthfinder.gov to find reliable sources of information about diseases and their treatments.

• Know that unproven products and treatments might be dangerous. Using unproven products might mean that you stop or delay taking proven medical treatments ordered by your health care provider. Unproven products might also cause bad interactions with your medications or other products you take.