ARTICLE
21 March 2020

New York Attorney General Orders Companies To Stop Selling Fake Coronavirus Treatments

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Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

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New York Attorney General Letitia James recently told several companies to stop selling fake coronavirus treatments.
United States Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment

New York Attorney General Letitia James recently told several companies to stop selling fake coronavirus treatments.  

Yesterday, the NYAG ordered Alex Jones to stop marketing toothpaste, dietary supplements, creams, and other products as coronavirus cures.  The NYAG alleged that Jones fraudulently claimed on his website that these products are a "stopgate" against the virus and that the United States government has said his Superblue Toothpaste "kills the whole SARS-corona family at point-blank range." 

NYAG James said, "Any individual, company, or entity that deceives the public and preys on innocent civilians will pay for their unlawful actions."

On Wednesday, the NYAG also ordered The Silver Edge Company and Dr. Sherrill Sellman to stop marketing fake coronavirus cures.  The NYAG alleged that the The Silver Edge Company falsely claimed that its Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator "beats coronavirus" and that there is "clinical documentation" to prove it.  In addition, the NYAG alleged that Sellman falsely marketed colloidal silver products as a cure for coronavirus and sold them on her website and on the Jim Bakker Show.  (The NYAG previously told the Jim Bakker to stop making false claims about these silver products, as has the Federal Trade Commission.)

These actions are just further evidence that regulators around the country are aggressively going after marketers who make false and misleading coronavirus claims. With consumer anxiety rising, and with germ-killing products in short supply, all marketers should be extra careful to ensure that any coronavirus-related product claims are proper and fully backed up by competent and reliable scientific evidence.  

Tangentially, if you're getting tired of singing "Happy Birthday" when you wash your hands, check out Gloria Gaynor's suggestion that you try the aptly-named "I Will Survive." 

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