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Amazon is banning products that claim to stop coronavirus – don’t be fooled
The deadly coronavirus was found late last year in China and has since been spreading globally. According to worldometers, there have been more than 77,000 cases reported and 2,250 deaths so far.
This fast-spreading virus seems to have everyone on edge and searching for information wherever they can find it. But be careful, there are tons of fake news stories about the coronavirus spreading on social media. Tap or click here to see some of the crazy conspiracy theories.
It’s not just fake news stories to worry about, either. Products are now showing up in Amazon’s Marketplace claiming to have the ability to kill the coronavirus, but don’t be fooled.
Amazon sellers making outrageous claims
We’re used to seeing scammers piggyback on huge news stories with phishing emails trying to rip people off, but there seems to be a whole new approach. If you do a search for the coronavirus on Amazon, you’ll find plenty of products that make claims without being able to back them up.
RELATED: How to avoid being tricked by coronavirus phishing scams
For example, search for coronavirus cleaner and you’ll get results full of cleansers from various companies claiming they can kill the coronavirus or at least stop it from spreading. Unfortunately, none of the products in question have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. And there’s the rub.
RELATED: Track the spread of coronavirus with this map
Products that make medical claims may not be legally marketed in the U.S. without review and approval by the FDA. The good news is Amazon is taking a stand and cracking down on certain products that make those claims, according to emails obtained by CNBC.
The company started banning products that make claims about coronavirus that can’t be proven and are sending letters to third-party sellers letting them know their products are being removed from the Marketplace.
The problem is removing these types of products is like playing Whac-A-Mole. As soon as one gets smacked down, another one pops up. Your best bet is to stay away from products that make far-out claims about coronavirus — especially those without FDA approval.
Tags: Amazon, Conspiracy theories, coronavirus, fake news, FDA, marketplace, phishing, scams, social media, spread
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