If you find a “treatment” for COVID-19 online that promises to outperform anything currently available in a clinical setting, it’s probably too good to be true.

That’s the message that the San Joaquin County District Attorney wanted residents to take away from a recent announcement from the Federal Trade Commission about the issuance of 25 cease and desist orders to online companies pushing products that they say can prevent or even cure the virus.

From seaweed supplement companies that claim that their product beats out the industry-standard antiviral being used to treat COVID to teas that are supposed to boost lung function and help people overcome the deadly illness, the more than two dozen companies pushing fabricated or false claims likely represent a fraction of those profiting off of the impacts of the pandemic – which continues to intensify.

While the announcement didn’t coincide with any action on behalf of the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the social media post and corresponding bulletin on the agency’s website marked a continuation of the office’s attempts to protect San Joaquin County citizens from unscrupulous people trying to profit off of the misery of others.

Earlier this month the DA’s office issued a bulletin warning about fake COVID rapid tests that are being sold online – unproven assays that are being pushed due to the limited availability of home COVID tests and the rapid rise in the number of cases thanks to the omicron variant.

The DA’s office offered the following tips for people to ensure that they don’t become victims of a scam when making decisions that could affect their health:

*When there’s a medical breakthrough, you will not hear about it for the first time through an ad or sales pitch.

*Always talk with your doctor or healthcare professional before you try and product claiming to treat, prevent, or cure COVID-19.

*Visit CDC.gov and FDA.gov for the most up-to-date information about COVID-19.

On the same day that the FTC issued the cease and desist orders to the 25 companies pushing the illegitimate products online, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued another consumer alert about fake testing sites popping up throughout the state – which could potentially be trying to scam personal information and money from unsuspecting residents concerned about their health.

For more information about how to prevent being scammed while seeking a COVID test or how to make sure you don’t get sucked into buying illegitimate products, visit the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s website at www.sjgov.org/da.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.