Federal agents have seized about 10 million fake 3M N95 masks in recent weeks, the result of an ongoing investigation into counterfeits sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies.
The most recent seizures occurred on Wednesday, when internal security agents intercepted hundreds of thousands of counterfeit 3M masks at a warehouse on the east coast that were scheduled for distribution, officials said.
The investigators also notified about 6,000 potential victims in at least 12 states, including hospitals, medical facilities and others who may have acquired imitations unknowingly, asking them to stop wearing medical-grade masks. The authorities encouraged medical professionals and companies to access the 3M website for tips on how to identify counterfeits.
The fake masks are not tested to see if they meet the strict standards of the N95 and can put medical professionals at risk if they are used when treating patients with Covid-19.
Almost a year after the pandemic began, fraud remains a major problem as scammers seek to exploit hospitals and desperate Americans. Federal investigators say they have seen an increase in fake websites that intend to sell vaccines, as well as fake medicines produced abroad and fraud involving personal protective equipment. The schemes offer fake products, unlike the beginning of the pandemic, when fraudsters focused more on stealing customers.
3M, based in Maplewood, Minnesota, is among the largest global producers of the N95 mask, which has been approved by the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It is considered the gold standard for protection against coronavirus.
The company delivered about 2 billion N95 masks in 2020, as the pandemic intensified, but in the first few months, when the masks were in short supply, 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, seizing $ 33 million in fake products and arresting more than 200 people . The effort is based on the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a government oversight body that aims to enforce international trade laws and combat intellectual property theft.
In the past two weeks, federal agents have executed warrants for searching and seizing masks in five different states, and more action is expected. But fake masks have already reached frontline officials in other cases.
3M has been dealing with more and more fraud cases. Last year, more than 1,250 police raids occurred, resulting in the seizure of millions of fake masks. The company has filed more than a dozen lawsuits for allegations of fraud, forgery and price fraud.