The claim was at least unique. A Minnesota chiropractic practice said it had a way to help patients fight off COVID-19 infection.
No long after he heard about it, state Attorney General Keith Ellison sent a letter ordering the spine-adjusting business to stop advertising the coronavirus treatment or face court action.
Then he moved on to the next get-rich-quick scam.
Suspect cures and price gouging on scarce supplies have become a game of Whac-A-Mole for state and federal regulators and some businesses during the pandemic.
From Jan. 1 to May 18, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fielded more than 28,000 COVID-19 fraud claims. The FTC consumer blog now carries warnings about text-message scams involving COVID-19 contact tracing and what to do if your nursing home or assisted-living facility took your stimulus check.
The wave of unethical and potentially criminal business strategies spills over in the private sector. Minnesota-based 3M has filed 10 lawsuits trying to stop businesses from using its name to sell millions of overpriced or nonexistent N95 masks that filter 95% of coronavirus molecules.
Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges Tuesday in the first of those 10 lawsuits.
The government arrested New Jersey used-car salesman Ronald Romano for allegedly conspiring to charge desperate New York City officials 400% of the list price for millions of 3M masks that he had no access to and was not authorized to market.