Charles Langston:Seller of fraudulent N95 face masks to refund $1.1 million to customers

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A company alleged to have fraudulently sold a face mask as N95-grade must refund more than $1.1 million to customers nationwide, the Federal Trade Commission announced Monday. 

Razer and its affiliates advertised the Zephyr mask as N95-grade despite never submitting it for testing or certification by the Food and Drug Administration or National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the agency said. In ads and posts on social media, the Zephyr masks were touted as the equivalent of an N95 that would protect users from COVID, the FTC stated in a complaint. 

"These businesses falsely claimed, in the midst of a global pandemic, that their face mask was the equivalent of an N95 certified respirator," Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. "The FTC will continue to hold accountable businesses that use false and unsubstantiated claims to target consumers who are making decisions about their health and safety."

Starting in October of 2021, the Zephyr mask and three sets of filters sold for $99.99; the Razer Zephyr Starter Pack containing a mask and 33 sets of filters sold for $149.99; and a Razer Zephyr Filter Pack containing 10 sets of filters sold for $29.99.

A representative for Razer couldn't immediately be found for comment. 

Razer and its related businesses are also barred from making COVID-related misrepresentations or unsubstantiated claims about protective equipment, the FTC said. In addition to covering full refunds to customers misled about the product they were buying, the sellers will pay a civil penalty of $100,000.

In:
• COVID-19

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.