FTC warns firms for making false coronavirus claims

In an attempt to combat bogus coronavirus treatments and cures, the Federal Trade Commission has sent more than 275 warning letters to mostly U.S. companies it says are advertising unproven and dubious health products and services, including a few businesses in southern Ohio.

The FTC this spring sent the owner of Jiva Med Spa, a company with offices in Beavercreek, a letter demanding it cease advertising products that it claimed helped treat the COVID-19 infection, including by reducing symptoms and the length of the illness.

Other warning letters were sent to companies in Cincinnati and Columbus.

Since the start of the pandemic, some companies and individuals have advertised products, treatments and therapies with unsubstantiated claims and benefits in an apparent attempt to profit off the pandemic.

The FTC has received about 140,000 consumer complaints related to COVID-19, including more than 3,500 from Ohio.

Crisis and desperation, like the current health emergency and economic troubles, create ripe conditions for scams and deceptive marketing, and officials say consumers should be wary of “miracle” products and services.

“There is nothing the FDA has determined prevents, treats or cures the coronavirus, so if you see an offer for a product that does that, just walk away,” said Christine Delorme, an attorney with the FTC division of advertising practices.

In mid-april, the FTC sent a warning letter to Dr. Rakesh Nanda, whose business, Jiva Med Spa, has offices listed on Indian Ripple Road in Beavercreek and Columbus.

The company, which did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, offers tattoo removal, skincare treatments, plastic surgery, massages and supplements.

The letter says FTC staff reviewed his company’s social media accounts, including one specifically targeted for the Dayton region, that directed consumers to his company’s main web page.

Nanda’s social media posts in late March and early April claimed that supplements he sells could help people who display symptoms of COVID-19, according to the FTC’S letter.

His posts allegedly claimed that taking certain supplements would reduce the symptoms of infection and the “viral load time,” the letter states. He allegedly claimed one product was a potent form of olive oil.

The FTC wrote that it is illegal to advertise that products can prevent, treat or cure human disease if there is not scientific studies showing the claims are true.

The FTC ordered Nanda to stop making claims that were not backed up by credible scientific evidence.

The FTC also sent warnings to Columbus company Earthley Wellness and Cincinnati company Huber Personalized Medicine, saying some of their advertisements made unsubstantiated or misleading claims or promoted unapproved treatments or products.

Other companies around the nation and globe were warned for claiming their products could treat or cure COVID-19, including IV injections of vitamins, essential oils, CBD products and oxygen therapies.

Often during public scares, there is a proliferation of deceptive advertising peddling “miracle cures,” officials say.

While many so-called treatments may sound outright preposterous, some consumers may be willing to try almost anything to try to protect themselves and their families from illness and death, Andrew Smith, the FTC’S consumer protection bureau director, said last Tuesday during testimony before a Senate subcommittee.

The FTC’S letters warn companies that if they do not immediately stop their unlawful conduct, they could face serious legal consequences, Smith said.

“Overwhelmingly, companies that have received FTC warning letters these past few months have taken quick steps to correct their problematic claims,” he testified.

The FTC sues some companies to force them to stop making bogus claims, but litigation takes time and resources, and warning letters have proven effective at getting people and companies to remove deceptive advertising quickly, Delorme said.