As if the virus itself isn't enough to worry about, you might fall victim to fake COVID products. DHL at CVG is one gateway Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says they're coming into the U.S.
Every night CBP scans, x-rays and visually checks suspicious looking products that might not meet FDA and EPA standards and would be otherwise illegal. A big part of their haul is synthetic drugs. Now smugglers are using the pandemic to make a quick buck and play on people's fears.
"As of June 22, CBP has seized more than 115,000 FDA prohibited COVID-19 test kits, more than 1 million counterfeit face masks, more than 3,000 EPA prohibited anti-virus lanyards and also nearly 20,000 problematic chloroquine tablets which also includes hydroxychloroquine," says CBP's Steven Bansbach as he gives the national numbers.
Bansbach says everyone is looking for a quick fix and there isn't one for the virus. He advises getting any medicine from your doctor and when looking for PPE, buy from reputable companies - not the first thing that pops up on a Google search.
In some cases the products might be legitimate, but the proper paperwork isn't in place, as was with masks confiscated at CVG this spring.
