Well, that was quick: a day after New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that the state had sent cease-and-desist letters to seven companies accused of peddling various Zika prevention products that don’t actually work, six of those businesses have agreed to stop selling and marketing the items.
The companies had been shilling things like botanical patches, wrist bands, and ultrasonic devices that were supposed to prevent or protect against Zika virus, but don’t contain any of the ingredients approved by the Centers for Disease Control to ward off Zika-carrying mosquitoes.
Schneiderman says that less than 24 hours after his action, most of the misleading advertising claims were removed, and some companies have also completely removed their products online.
“I am pleased that the action my office undertook has led to the immediate removal of nearly all the deceptive Zika-related claims that we targeted,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “We won’t let fraudsters take advantage of a public health crisis, and this should serve as a warning to other companies who seek to engage in the same dishonest practices. I urge consumers to educate themselves about the repellents that will actually protect you against Zika to avoid being fooled by these outrageous scams.”
The companies that have agreed to stop selling ineffective products are:
• Wildheart Outdoors Natural Mosquito Repellent Bracelet
• MosQUITo Repellent Bracelet Wristband Band
• iGear iGuard 2.0 Ultrasonic Insect Pest Repellent
• Kenza High Quality Zika Mosquito Repellent Smiley Patch
• Mobile Pro Gear ZIKA Shield Mosquito Repellent Bands
• STAR Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
Per the CDC, consumers should look for repellants containing DEET, Picardin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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