The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued letters today (January 19, 2022) warning more than 20 companies – including some direct sellers – to immediately stop making baseless claims regarding their products treating or preventing COVID-19.
According to the press release about FTC warning letters:
“In cease-and-desist demands sent to these marketers, the agency noted that violators could be hit with monetary penalties under the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act passed by Congress last year. The cease-and-desist demands are the latest action in the FTC’s continued fight against fraudsters attempting to take advantage of ongoing coronavirus concerns, including those related to the Omicron variant.
“Americans are still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and scammers are still taking advantage of them by making false claims about cures and treatments,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Our efforts to stamp out those claims will continue in 2022, and any marketers not heeding our cease-and-desist demands can expect to face consequences, including civil penalties”
This is the eleventh set of warnings issued by the FTC. The Commission has previously sent similar health-related letters to 405 companies and individuals. Most of the demands announced today were sent to companies using social media platforms to sell their products, and in those instances the agency also notified the platform of its demand.”
Click here to continue reading and learn more about this recent set of FTC warnings.
