Federal Authorities Investigating Massive Counterfeit N95 Mask Scam

WASHINGTON, 10 FEB 2021 (AP)

Federal authorities are investigating a massive counterfeit N95 mask operation in which fake 3M masks were sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies. Foreign-made knockoffs are increasingly difficult to spot and could put healthcare workers at serious risk of coronavirus.

These masks give first responders “a false sense of securitySaid Steve Francis, deputy director of global trade investigations in the main investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. He added: “We have seen a lot of fraud and other illegal activities.”

Officials were unable to name the states or company involved due to the ongoing investigation.

Almost a year after the start of the pandemic, fraud remains a major problem as crooks seek to exploit hospitals and desperate and tired Americans. Federal investigators say they have seen an increase in the number of fakes sites Web claiming to sell vaccines as well as fake drugs produced abroad and scams involving personal protective equipment. The systems deliver bogus products, unlike the fraud at the start of the pandemic which focused more on customer fraud.

3M, based in Maplewood, Minnesota, is one of the world’s largest producers of the N95 mask, which has been approved by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and is considered the gold standard for protection against the coronavirus. The company shipped some 2 billion N95 masks in 2020 as the pandemic skyrocketed, but in the early months of the pandemic, when masks were scarce, fraudsters began to appear.

“They are not from authorized distributors,” said Kevin Rhodes, vice president and associate general counsel, 3M. “They come from companies that have just started.”

Rhodes encouraged medical institutions and even workers to consult the site Company Web for advice on how to spot counterfeits, including faulty packaging or trademarks.

“These products are not tested to see if they meet N95 standards,” he said. “They are not interested in testing them. They want to manufacture as much as possible at the lowest cost. ”

During the pandemic, Homeland Security Investigations used its 7,000 agents in tandem with border officials, the Food and Drug Administration, and the FBI to investigate scams, seize bogus products, and arrest hundreds to help end the fraud. The effort is based at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordinating Center, a government watchdog aimed at enforcing international trade laws and combating theft of intellectual property.

There have already been more than 1,250 raids by law enforcement that resulted in the seizure of 10 million counterfeit 3M masks. The company has filed more than a dozen lawsuits for fraud, counterfeiting and price fraud.

There are numerous other reports of fraudulent masks reaching frontline workers.

In the latter case, Homeland Security investigators sent a potential fraud warning email to some states. The email, viewed by The Associated Press, says the 3M N95 1860 and 1860S mask models may have been supplied by a company called Q2 Solutions and the masks may be fraudulent. The masks have a seal that says “Peru”, which is not used outside of Latin America. The company is headquartered in Miami and has offices in the United States and around the world. He did not respond to requests for comment.

Washington state officials examined their supply of masks, which came from another company, and found that 300,000 masks they had purchased for around $ 1.4 million …BollyInside