Attorney General James Orders Alex Jones to Stop Selling Fake Coronavirus Treatments

Sends Cease & Desist Notice for Claims that Toothpaste,
Dietary Supplements, and Creams Will Prevent and Cure Coronavirus

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today ordered Alex Jones to immediately cease and desist selling and marketing products as a treatment or cure for the coronavirus. Alex Jones — through his website www.InfoWarsStores.com — has been marketing and selling toothpaste, dietary supplements, creams, and several other products as treatments to prevent and cure the coronavirus. Jones fraudulently claims that these products are a “stopgate” against the virus and that the United States government has said his Superblue Toothpaste “kills the whole SARS-corona family at point-blank range.” There is currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccine to prevent the disease or treatment to cure it and the World Health Organization has also said that there is no specific medicine to prevent or treat this disease.

“As the coronavirus continues to pose serious risks to public health, Alex Jones has spewed outright lies and has profited off of New Yorkers’ anxieties,” said Attorney General James. “Mr. Jones’ public platform has not only given him a microphone to shout inflammatory rhetoric, but his latest mistruths are incredibly dangerous and pose a serious threat to the public health of New Yorkers and individuals across the nation. If these unlawful violations do not cease immediately, my office will not hesitate to take legal action and hold Mr. Jones accountable for the harm he’s caused. Any individual, company, or entity that deceives the public and preys on innocent civilians will pay for their unlawful actions.”

Just yesterday, Attorney General James sent cease and desist orders to two companies that claim their products are also treatments for the coronavirus. The first notice was sent to The Silver Edge company, which claims its Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator “beats coronavirus” and that there is “clinical documentation” to prove it. The second notice was sent to Dr. Sherrill Sellman, who has been marketing colloidal silver products as a cure for coronavirus and selling them on her website and on the Jim Bakker Show. Attorney General James recently ordered the Jim Bakker Show to stop marketing Dr. Sellman’s colloidal silver products for the same reason.

In addition to this fraud, Jones also makes deeply deceptive claims about the benefits and medicinal powers of nano silver or colloidal silver — the main medicinal ingredient in his products. According to the National Institutes of Health, colloidal silver can actually be dangerous to a person’s health, and the FDA has warned that colloidal silver is not safe or effective for treating any disease or condition. Countless scientific studies have also determined that there is no evidence to support the use of colloidal silver as a treatment for any disease or condition.

Attorney General James has also issued cease and desist notifications to multiple businesses in New York for charging excessive prices for hand sanitizers, disinfectant sprays, and rubbing alcohol — a violation of New York’s price gouging statute. That statute prohibits the sale of goods and services necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of consumers at unconscionably excessive prices during any abnormal disruption of the market.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) continues to surveil and monitor businesses across the state for potential scams and price gouging schemes designed to exploit public concern related to the spread of the coronavirus. Scammers commonly exploit real public health concerns and use heightened public fear to prey on consumers and profit from frauds related to those health fears. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam or have witnessed potential price gouging, please report these incidents to the OAG.