U.S. FDA cautions against fraudulent COVID-19 products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned on Monday that seven companies have been selling fraudulent COVID-19 products that pose "significant risks to patient health."

The seven companies, namely Vital Silver, Quinessence Aromatherapy, Xephyr, GuruNanda, Vivify Holistic Clinic, Herbal Amy and The Jim Bakker Show, are selling unapproved drugs including teas, essential oils, tinctures and colloidal silver, according to FDA's warning letter.

Those companies fraudulently claimed to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19 and they may be subject to legal action, including but not limited to seizure or injunction, according to FDA.

"The FDA considers the sale and promotion of fraudulent COVID-19 products to be a threat to the public health," said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. "We have an aggressive surveillance program that routinely monitors online sources for health fraud products."

The FDA cautioned consumers against websites and stores selling products that claim to prevent, mitigate, treat, diagnose or cure COVID-19. The fraudulent COVID-19 products might come in many varieties, including dietary supplements and products purporting to be drugs, medical devices or vaccines, according to the FDA.

The FDA has established a cross-agency task force to closely monitor the products, and the task force said it had removed more than three dozen listings of fraudulent COVID-19 products.