As the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. continues to increase, the number of people looking to profit from the misfortune by offering false, unproven cures is also on the rise. There is no known cure for COVID-19, but that has not stopped opportunists from looking to capitalize off people’s fears. Among the products for sale are purported cures, bogus tests and treatments. Marzen said the damage caused by peddling these phony products is borne by those who are duped and society at large. The financial loss could be significant and false tests could cause people to mistakenly believe they don’t have COVID-19 and unknowingly spread it to others. But the even greater fear is someone believing they’ve been cured and not seeking medical care, which could be costly to their health or conceivably lead to death. While monitoring the spike in bogus cures, tests and treatments, hopefully, the government will respond by adopting stiffer penalties for fraudsters. 

Chad Marzen, Associate Professor of Legal Studies
Areas of Expertise: Insurance Law, Tort Law and Crop Insurance