Fake Coronavirus Cure Website Shut Down by DOJ

The Justice Department has temporarily blocked public access to a website offering a fake coronavirus cure which was allegedly taking advantage of the public’s desperation as a way to make money from the current health crisis.

This effort to shut down the website marks the Justice Department’s first enforcement action in federal court to curb fraud connected with the coronavirus outbreak.

The website, CoronavirusMedicalKit.com, will be temporarily closed to the public, per a restraining order filed by the Justice Department. Currently, the department has only alleged that the website makes fraudulent claims. To get the website permanently shut down, the Justice Department must prove its allegations in trial. 

According to the Justice Department, the website fraudulently offers to give individuals access to a coronavirus vaccine kit reportedly produced by the World Health Organization. The website claims that customers can receive a kit if they pay a $4.95 shipping charge. 

However, there is not coronavirus vaccine or coronavirus cure currently available. According to the department, if a coronavirus does become available, it will not be publicized via “an email, online ad, or unsolicited sales pitch.” 

Have you been duped into purchasing a coronavirus cure? You may have a legal claim. 

The Justice Department urges the public to be wary of scammers, particularly those who take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to make money off of desperate individuals.

To find the most accurate and current information about the coronavirus outbreak, the public is advised to visit the official websites of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control. 

The enforcement action against CoronavirusMedicalKit.com was filed in Texas on March 21, 2020, and was issued by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman. To take this action, the federal government employed a federal statute allowing federal courts to issue injunctions to stop fraudulent actions from harming the public. 

According to the Justice Department, this action is part of a new effort to prioritize cracking down on fraud connected to the coronavirus outbreak. This instruction to focus on coronavirus fraud schemes was given by Attorney General William Barr.

Commenting on the threat of coronavirus cure fraud, Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division said, “The Department of Justice will not tolerate criminal exploitation of this national emergency for personal gain. We will use every resource at the government’s disposal to act quickly to shut down these most despicable of scammers, whether they are defrauding customers, committing identity theft, or delivering malware.”

U.S. Attorney John F. Bash of the Western District of Texas said that action was taken quickly to shut down the operation of CoronavirusMedicalKit.com, and that schemes related to a coronavirus cure, a vaccine, or the coronavirus in general will be quickly dealt with for the remainder of the global outbreak.

How To Identify Coronavirus Cure Scams & Other Schemes

The Justice Department website provides advice for how the public can best avoid potential scams related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The website stresses that scammers often imitate official communications or refer to trustworthy organizations in order to trick the public. 

In some cases, scammers may try to disseminate fake COVID-19 information by creating a website or email address that mimics an official site, but differs slightly from it.

The website provides the example that the real website for the Centers for Disease Control is cdc.gov, but scammers may create fake websites such as cdc.com or cdc.org to deceive consumers.

Many individuals may be trying not only to search the web for a coronavirus cure, but may try to help their communities by donating to charities. While this is a worthy pursuit, some scammers may try to take advantage the public’s generosity by trying to get people to donate to bogus charities.

According to the Justice Department, the public should be suspicious of charities requesting donations in cash, or by mail, wire transfer, or gift card. 

Additionally, the public is advised to thoroughly research organizations trying to collect donations and funding for coronavirus-related causes. Individuals interested in donating to legitimate COVID-19 relief efforts, charities or research can visit the Federal Trade Commission for more information on how to do so.

Consumers who do encounter any activity that seems like fraud related to COVID are invited to contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by phone at 1-866-720-5721, or by email at disaster@leo.gov.

Those who would like to learn more about the efforts being made to stop coronavirus-related fraud can find more information on the Justice Department’s website.

Join a Free Coronavirus Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you believe your rights were violated in a way that is directly related to the coronavirus pandemic, you may qualify to join this coronavirus class action lawsuit investigation. 

Join Here

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