Coronavirus Scammers

“If China Couldn’t contain the Coronavirus do you think Hawaii can?” a distributor for Utah-based nutritional supplements Multilevel Marketing – a way of distributing products or services in which the distributors earn income from their own retail sales and from retail sales made by their direct and indirect recruits. Tranont and Hawaiian resident poses to members of a “Health & Wealth Community” Facebook group. “Hell No!!! I’m not listening to our CDC or State!! You kidding me!! Am I scared?? NO!! I’m just being REALLLLL!!!!!”

The fear factor around the coronavirus is high. But this is awful advice. If you are torn between listening to what the CDC says about the risks associated with the coronavirus and what a supplement company says, definitely go with the CDC (though you should be wary of emails claiming to be from the CDC, the FTC warns).

The Tranont distributor’s Facebook post goes on to recommend taking the company’s supplements (such as the product pictured) to protect your family from the virus, which has killed more than 1,300 people from China’s Hubei Province but is not currently spreading in the community in the United States, according to the CDC.

“ARE YOU COVERED? HOW ARE YOU PROTECTING YOUR OHANA (FAMILY?) ARE YOU PREPARED? DON’T WAIT! DO SOMETHING!!”

The Tranont distributor then provides a link to order Tranont products on her distributor page.

If you see ads touting prevention, treatment or cure claims for the coronavirus, we’d echo the FTC’s advice: “Ask yourself: If there’s been a medical breakthrough, would you be hearing about it for the first time through an ad or sales pitch?”

Tranont isn’t the only MLM making these types of claims. Florida-based Jeunesse Global is also getting in on the act, claiming on Instagram that one of its supplements fights the coronavirus.

Find more of our coverage on MLM health claims here.

UPDATE 2/18/20: Following the publication of this ad alert, the Tranont distributor’s Facebook post was taken down.