Federal agents have seized about 10 million counterfeit 3M trademarks in recent weeks, the result of an ongoing investigation into counterfeits sold to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies in at least five states.
The recent seizures took place on Wednesday when Homeland Security agents intercepted hundreds of thousands of counterfeit 3M masks in a warehouse on the east coast, officials were told.
Investigators also notified about 6,000 potential victims in at least twelve states, including hospitals, medical facilities and others who may have unknowingly bought rash and urged them to stop using the masks of medical. Officials have urged medical workers and companies to go to 3M’s website for tips on detecting counterfeit.
The rogue masks are not tested to see if they meet the N95 standards and can put medical workers in jeopardy if used during the treatment of patients with Covid-19.
Nearly a year into the pandemic, fraud is still a major problem because scammers want to exploit hospitals and desperate Americans. Federal investigators say they have seen an increase in rogue websites indicating that vaccines are being sold, as well as counterfeit medicines manufactured abroad, and scams involving personal protective equipment. The schemes deliver modest products, unlike earlier in the pandemic, when fraudsters focused more on customers who focused.
3M, based in Maplewood, Minnesota, is one of the largest global manufacturers of the N95 mask, approved by the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. It is considered the gold standard in protection against the coronavirus.
The company delivered about 2 billion N95 masks in 2020 as the pandemic increased, but in the earlier months, when there were not enough masks, fraudsters took advantage.
So far during the pandemic, Homeland Security Investigations has used its 7,000 agents, along with border officials, the Food and Drug Administration and the FBI, to investigate the scams, seize $ 33 million worth of rogue products and arrest more than 200 people. The effort is based on the National Intellectual Property Coordination Center, a government watchdog aimed at enforcing international trade laws and combating intellectual property theft.
Over the past two weeks, federal agents have carried out search warrants and seized masks in five different states, and more action is expected. But fraudulent masks have already caught up with frontline workers in other cases.
3M has been dealing with increasing fraud cases. In the past year, there have been more than 1,250 raids by law enforcers that have led to the seizure of millions of fake masks. The company has filed more than a dozen lawsuits over reports of fraud, forgery and prize money.