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If you or a loved one has COVID-19, you might feel hopeful about products that guarantee you the treatment or cure you’re looking for. But if those products don’t work as advertised, then you could end up paying lots of money for false promises. Today, the FTC announced a new case against two companies, — Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical, Inc., Golden Sunrise Pharmaceutical, Inc. — and members of their leadership — Huu Tieu and Stephen Meis — for allegedly making promises like these.

Golden Sunrise advertised that the dietary supplements in its Emergency D-virus treatment plan could cure COVID-19. Even after the FTC sent Golden Sunrise Pharmaceutical a warning letter in April 2020, it continued to claim that its products were “uniquely qualified to treat and modify the course of the virus epidemic,” including through billboards it posted in California.

Billaboard display stating " NEW COVID-19 Treatment Emergency D-Virus Plan of Care, Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical"

Golden Sunrise also claimed that its products had been “reviewed and accepted” by the FDA.

According to the FTC, all these claims are deceptive. The FTC’s complaint says that Golden Sunrise misled people by claiming that its products could cure COVID-19. The FTC also says that none of the claims the company made about curing the Coronavirus — or any other serious conditions mentioned in their ads, such as cancer and Parkinson’s — are backed by science. On top of this, the FTC also says that the FDA never approved the companies’ products.

When it comes to the fight against the Coronavirus, knowing the facts will help. Here are tips to follow and share with others:

  • Always talk with your doctor or another healthcare professional before you try any product claiming to treat or cure COVID-19.
  • Head to CDC.gov for clear and concise information on COVID-19. In addition, visit the FDA’s Resources page to find out about treatments in development.
  • Learn more about scams related to COVID-19 by visiting ftc.gov/coronavirus and subscribing to Consumer Alerts from the FTC.
  • If you find a product that claims to prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19, report it to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.
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burnard
July 31, 2020
Thank you for countinuing to print the facts for those of us who are uniformed and misinformed. : ]
Phona
July 31, 2020
Thank you for the valuable information
Old but know better
August 03, 2020
By now, it seems that folks would have enough knowledge to form a somewhat good sense of judgement in order to eliminate the scams. But, as I think this, I constantly am reminded of examples that indeed show how foolish and naive a large percentage of our population proves to be.
Cindy
August 03, 2020
Disgraceful.
Michael
August 05, 2020
It's a shame some unscrupulous people will try to scam desperate people who are sick. Sometimes I think the sick folks are so desperate that they want to believe maybe there is a cure. It's just a sad situation. Our best hope is for a vaccine.
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