WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal authorities are investigating a large-scale N95 mask counterfeiting operation in which fake 3M masks were sold to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies in at least five states. The knock-offs caused by overseas are becoming increasingly difficult to spot and could put health workers at risk for the coronavirus.
These masks give emergency responders “a false sense of security,” said Steve Francis, assistant director for global trade investigations in the main research arm of the Homeland Security Department. He added, “We have seen a lot of fraud and other illegal activity.”
Officials could not name the states or the company involved because of the active investigation.
Nearly a year after the pandemic, fraud remains a major problem as scammers try to exploit hospitals and desperate and tired Americans. Federal investigators say they have seen an increase in fake websites claiming to sell vaccines, as well as fake drugs produced abroad and personal protective equipment scams. The schemes deliver fake products, unlike fraud earlier in the pandemic which was more focused on brightening up customers.
Based in Maplewood, Minnesota, 3M is one of the largest global manufacturers of the N95 mask, which has been approved by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and is considered the gold standard for protection against the coronavirus. The company supplied about 2 billion N95 masks in 2020 as the pandemic boomed, but in the early months of the pandemic, when masks were scarce, fraudsters began to emerge.
“They are not from authorized distributors,” said Kevin Rhodes, 3M’s vice president and deputy general counsel. “They come from companies that are only really emerging.”
Rhodes encouraged medical facilities and even employees to search the company’s website for tips on how to spot forgeries, namely through packaging or defective trademarks.
“These products are not tested to see if they meet N95 standards,” he said. “They are not interested in testing them. They want to make as many of them as cheap as possible.”
During the pandemic, Homeland Security Investigations deployed its 7,000 agents in collaboration with border officials, the Food and Drug Administration, and the FBI to investigate scams, seize fake products, and arrest hundreds to help stop fraud. The effort is based on the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a government watchdog focused on enforcing international trade laws and fighting intellectual property theft.
There have been more than 1,250 raids by law enforcement officials that have resulted in the seizure of 10 million counterfeit 3M masks alone. The company has filed more than a dozen lawsuits on reports of fraud, counterfeiting and price gouging.
There are many other reports of fraudulent masks reaching frontline workers.
In the latest case, Homeland Security investigators sent an email warning of possible fraud to certain states. The email, reviewed by The Associated Press, said 3M N95 Mask Models 1860 and 1860S may be supplied by a company called Q2 Solutions and the masks may be fraudulent. The masks have a seal with the text “Peru”, which is not used outside Latin America. The company is based in Miami and has offices in the US and worldwide. It did not respond to requests for comment.
Washington State officials investigated their mask stockpile, which came from another company, and found that 300,000 masks they bought for about $ 1.4 million were counterfeit. Officials are investigating.
Beth Zborowski of the Washington State Hospital Association said the fraud has the potential to affect 1.9 million masks, but they are now largely in stock rather than in general.
She said the mask supplier had been vetted and that the masks “passed all physical and visual inspection tests.” Zborowski said the association was unable to get the masks directly from 3M for a while, but the company is now speeding up its order after learning of the fraud.
Health workers “have many concerns every day. They also don’t have to worry if their masks are fake, ”she said.