The Federal Office warns consumers about perfidious corona fraudsters.
They want to make profit from the crisis with ineffective “miracle cures”.
Federal Office for Consumer Protection warns of
corona fraudsters
.
Dietary supplements
are
sold on the Internet
as supposed "
miracle cures
".
Some of them contain
dangerous ingredients
.
The number of serious
corona infections
and
deaths due to the corona virus
in Germany is increasing from week to week, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) informed on Thursday (December 3rd, 2020) in a press conference.
Although the vaccine is about to be approved in Germany, a cure is not in sight.
This worries many people.
Out of this fear, corona fraudsters are now trying to make a profit using perfidious methods.
In an official press release, the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) is now urgently warning against
false promises made
by
alleged “miracle cures”
against
Corona,
because the products offered are food supplements and not drugs: “Food supplements can
neither prevent nor cure
Covid 19 disease
“, It says in the message.
Corona fraudsters
would illegally advertise self-declared "miracle drugs" on the Internet.
In their advertising slogans, they promise relief, healing and even prevention of corona, among other things.
This is forbidden because dietary supplements are not drugs, the BVL continues.
#FAQ on dietary supplements & #CoronaVirus: There are currently fraudulent online offers circulating which advertise illegally to protect against # COVID19.
These products can neither prevent nor cure COVID-19 diseases!
# covid19deutschland
👉 https://t.co/zw8c3p6aCG pic.twitter.com/7BlDFDDXcF
- BVL (@BVL_Bund) November 24, 2020
Warning: Corona fraudsters sell ineffective "wonder drugs"
Friedel Cramer, BVL boss, finds these illegal promises and playing with the fear of the population "unheard of".
There is currently no effective drug for a corona virus disease.
None of the products can
alleviate or even cure
Covid-19
.
There is currently no
effective drug against the
disease caused
by the
corona virus
.
The
distance and hygiene rules
to be observed is the only Helpful.
In the course of the
inspection
, 60 suspicious
websites have been
identified so far, and there are even 592 across the EU
. The
BVL
press release also states
: Member States forwarded.
On-site inspections were carried out by the local authorities and the offers changed or deleted. ”According to BVL, online markets and social media were called upon
to remove
illegal
offers
from
Corona fraudsters
with ineffective“
wonder drugs
”at the
beginning of the pandemic
.
+
Even if some products promise it: By taking certain food supplements, you are no better protected against corona.
(Symbol image)
© Christin Klose / picture alliance
Warning: Dietary supplements are illegally in circulation as a "miracle cure" against Corona
But that's not all - it is
forbidden by law
that
food supplements
may contain medicinal effects.
The consumer advice center points out that food supplements are often neither
tested
for
effectiveness
nor
safety
.
Since
dietary supplements
fall into the food category, they are not subject to any authorization requirement.
Unlike
pharmaceuticals
.
Therefore, only random checks are carried out.
Means for
dietary supplements
are generally only considered useful if a nutrient is deficient, or where there additional nutritional needs.
For example, the additional intake of folic acid and iodine on the
advice of
a
doctor
during pregnancy.
Corona: Food supplements as supposed "miracle cures" in circulation
In the best case scenario,
nutritional supplements
can actually be helpful.
But especially during the
Corona period
, according to a media report from t
agesschau.de,
products are in circulation that are even potentially
dangerous
.
The report refers to an article by
Report Mainz
.
According to this, supposed
food supplements are
in circulation that
contain
chlorine dioxide
.
An agent that is used to disinfect water or bleach, among other things.
According to the report, experts have
classified
the substance as
dangerous
if it is consumed.
The
Federal Office
strongly
warns
on its website that
consumers should be
“particularly vigilant” in order not to become “victims of black sheep” when buying
food supplements
.
When
buying online
, the following should be noted:
Beware of
unrealistic promises
.
Dietary supplements should
never be
bought
from
private individuals
.
Beware of offers from
abroad
.
Beware of supposedly fake
reviews
on
social media
.
Beware of
unknown ingredients
: inform urgently before consumption.
Shortly before the approval of the corona vaccine, the first side effects * became known.
There are many new corona infections and dozens of deaths in Hesse.
(Theresa Lippe)
* fnp.de is part of the nationwide Ippen digital editorial network.
List of rubric lists: © Christin Klose / picture alliance