‘The Jim Bakker Show’ and others warned about selling ‘fraudulent’ coronavirus treatments
Convicted fraudster and longtime televangelist Jim Bakker’s daily show was one of seven companies to receive joint warning letters from the FDA and FTC demanding they cease selling “fraudulent COVID-19 products.”
“There already is a high level of anxiety over the potential spread of coronavirus,” FTC Chairman Joe Simons said. “What we don’t need in this situation are companies preying on consumers by promoting products with fraudulent prevention and treatment claims. These warning letters are just the first step. We’re prepared to take enforcement actions against companies that continue to market this type of scam.”
Also, the FDA says it is worried that people who use products that claim to deal with the new coronavirus won’t get proper medical treatment.
The warning letters went to:
“The Jim Bakker Show.” The FDA says the show and the show’s website hawked “Silver Sol Liquid” with misleading statements concerning the current coronavirus strain, such as “Silver Solution has been proven … to kill every pathogen it has ever been tested on … and it can kill any of these known viruses …”
Also, “But this influenza that is now circling the globe, you’re saying that Silver Solution would be effective? Well let’s say it hasn’t been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it’s been tested on other strains of the coronavirus, and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours, totally eliminate it, kills it, deactivates it.”
The New York Attorney General sent a cease and desist letter to the show last week, as reported by the Charlotte Observer.
By Monday, the show’s website still sold Silver Sol Liquid, but made no reference to the current coronavirus outbreak. After claims of strengthening the immune system, the site has the standard, “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
Colloidal Vitality/Vital Silver. This Melbourne, Florida, company sells essential oils products that the FDA says are “unapproved new drugs” and “misbranded drugs.”
Among the Vital Silver’s Facebook posts acting as advertising for the sales website, the FDA says, was a Feb. 6 one that claimed “Wellness!! Vital Silver!!! Simple!!! Go on the offense this year against viruses including the Coronavirus — it’s simple!”
That and other Facebook posts have been removed by Vital Silver.
GuruNanda. This California essential oil dealer claimed cities in Wuhan, the part of China where the new coronavirus flowered, have told people to use pure essential oils for prevention. Also, “Since the flu is spreading so quickly, we want to give 50% off for the essential oils. ... Simply type ‘Corona’ in the code box to save immediately.”
Vivify Holistic Clinic. The Ontario, Canada, company’s website coronavirusdefense.com, the FDA said, claimed, ““As the deadly cornavirus [sic] rapidly spreads across the globe with no antidote available ... Stephen Harrod Buhner (an author of several books on herbal medicine) has created an updated coronavirus protocol specifically for the Wuhan outbreak.”
Herbal Amy. Amy Weidner’s Idaho-based company also cited Buhner with statements such as “Stephen Buhner has used this with other corona virus infections, including SARS, it works well.”
Quinessence Aromatherapy. This United Kingdom essential oil seller’s website, the FDA said, bragged of “Essential Oils to Protect Against Coronavirus. ... There are a wide range of essential oils that have been clinically proven to possess antiviral properties. Whilst these essential oils do not all offer the same level of defence, many have been proven to have a measurable effect on a wide range of infective agents such as influenza A and B, parainfluenza strains 1,2 & 3, vaccinia, herpes simplex and polio.”
Quinessesnce appears to have removed that and articles titled “Essential Oils to Protect Against Coronavirus,” although the tweet with a link remains.
Xephyr doing business as N-Ergetics. The Oklahoma company sells colloidal silver products, which the FDA has said since 1999 are not safe or effective for treating any disease or condition.
But N-Ergetics website claimed, “If colloidal silver has killed coronavirus strains in past laboratory test, then the current coronaviruses should also be killed. Protect your immune system try Colloidal Silver 1100 PPM Immune Support.”
The site’s colloidal silver page contains several blanks noted as “deleted as per FDA” and with a link to the warning letter.
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 1:30 PM with the headline "‘The Jim Bakker Show’ and others warned about selling ‘fraudulent’ coronavirus treatments."
