May 27, 2020 #covidscams video: Fake N95 masks threaten our first responders and healthcare workers

Image of Shabbir Safdar on video

The era of COVID-19 has been marked by shortages of medical equipment–hand sanitizer, test kits, gloves and, most of all, protective masks for healthcare workers and first responders. On May 13th, the Associated Press (AP) published a disheartening investigative piece–one in a series about the challenges of a worldwide medical supply chain–that shows just how difficult it is to establish that important medical supplies are safe and effective over the whole course of the purchasing process.

[...]

#covidscams episode for May 13, 2020: Financial Scams

Still from May 13 Covidscams VIdeo

As we’ve focused these last few weeks on COVID-19 scams related to medicine and medical supplies, however, another population of scammers has been exploiting Americans. This week we’re calling out financially-focused covidscams, which comprise a large part of the $13.4 million that U.S. citizens have lost to fraud since the beginning of the year.

[...]

April 29, 2020 episode: After 114 years of protecting Americans, the FDA is still hard at work—on #COVIDscams

Still image, April 29, 2020 covidscams video

The FDA was established to protect Americans from adulterated food and medicines and from criminals selling ineffective, outrageous, and sometimes harmful treatments. Unfortunately, fake cures are fertile ground for profiteers, and no matter how many products the FDA seizes, more crop up. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic the FDA has been working overtime to stop the sale of harmful and ineffective COVID “treatments.” This week PSM did some research in the FDA’s warning letter archives to survey fake COVID-19 cures.

[...]