WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal agents have seized more than 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 Homeland Security agents intercepted hundreds of thousands of counterfeit 3M masks in an East Coast warehouse 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. Authorities encouraged medical workers and companies to visit the 3M website for tips on how to detect counterfeits.
“Do they not only give a false sense of security, but how dangerous is the exposed individual without any protective equipment? They are of no use, ”said Homeland Security Secretary Ali Mayorkas of the fake masks.
The masks do not come through regular 3M distributors, they come from outside the normal supply chain, officials said. But hospitals and medical groups are increasingly adopting normal purchasing routines during the shortage of masks in the global pandemic, officials said. They said the scams are taking advantage of the masked panic.
Homeland Security officials did not say which states the masks were sent to, but said criminal charges would be available.
Fake masks are not tested to see if they meet strict N95 standards and can put medical professionals at risk if 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, headquartered 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 masks were scarce, 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 employees 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 filed more than a dozen lawsuits reports of fraud, counterfeiting and price increases.