Federal officials report that up to five states have purchased fake N95 masks, supplying hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies with foreign-made copies that put healthcare professionals at risk of contracting the coronavirus.
The fake masks look a lot like the N95 masks produced by the Minnesota-based company 3M. Authorities began investigations in five states.
These masks create “a false sense of security,” said Steve Francis, assistant director of global business investigations at the Department of Homeland Security.
N95 masks that were destined for a hospital on the East Coast, where medical workers are fighting on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic in December 2020.
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“We saw a lot of fraud and other illegal activities,” added Francis.
The masks are provided by companies that are “beginning to exist”, according to Kevin Rhodes, vice president and general counsel, 3M.
“They are not coming from authorized distributors,” said Rhodes.
During the pandemic, Homeland Security Investigations seized more than 10 million counterfeit 3M masks. The company filed more than a dozen lawsuits for allegations of fraud and forgery, as demand for small, tight masks soared in 2020.
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Authorities did not identify the states or companies under investigation, but Washington state officials found that 300,000 masks purchased for about $ 1.4 million were counterfeit.
“3M recently helped Washington State officials to confirm that N95 respirators purchased from distributors unrelated to 3M are not authentic 3M products,” the manufacturer wrote to Fox News by email. “3M recommends purchasing our products only from an authorized 3M distributor.”
Cassie Sauer, president and executive director of the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), said the perpetrators became adept at creating fraudulent personal protective equipment (PPE), and some health professionals who used the fake N95s didn’t even notice a difference.
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In a press release sent to Fox News, Sauer said that “these masks had the proper paperwork and passed physical inspection and testing.”
Fox News’ Kayla Rivas contributed to this report, as well as The Associated Press.