CBP Has Seized Nearly 900,000 Counterfeit and Unsafe COVID-19 Supplies

Customs officers have picked up hundreds of thousands of unapproved test kits, unproven medicines and substandard protective equipment.

As the pandemic crisis wears on, Customs and Border Protection says it has amassed a sizable collection of “counterfeit, unapproved or otherwise substandard COVID-19 products that threaten the health and safety of American consumers.”

Criminals and scammers never let a crisis go to waste, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Since the outbreak, criminals have updated classic scams, including impersonating health officials to steal personal information, price gouging and fake treatments, and newer schemes like embedding malware in tracing apps.
Fraudsters are also exploiting the shortage of resources needed to combat the virus by bringing counterfeit goods across borders.

“Among other products, these criminals are smuggling and selling counterfeit safety equipment, unapproved COVID-19 test kits, unproven medicines and substandard hygiene products through the online marketplace,” according to a CBP release.

https://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2020/06/cbp-has-seized-nearly-900000-counterfeit-and-unsafe-covid-19-supplies/165959/