Makers Of “Ion Badge” Anti-COVID Device Once Touted By NYC Sheriff Pay $150K FTC “Deception” Settlement

The City reports:

The makers of the “Invisible Mask” — which New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda [photo] touted as a shield against COVID-19 in the weeks before Mayor Eric Adams brought him into the administration — have agreed to a $150,000 settlement following a FTC complaint that charged them with making a host of “deceptive claims.”

Gary Kong, a Queens businessperson who goes by the honorific “Sir,” and two firms he runs with a partner, were hit in September with a three-count complaint by the FTC in Brooklyn Federal Court over their marketing of the product as protection against COVID-19, according to court papers.

Marketing materials say the “invisible mask,” which resembles a conference badge that can be worn around the neck or pinned to a lapel, contains a pouch of ions that collide to create a three-foot gas barrier of protection that lasts for up to 30 days.

Read the full article. Thousands of the “ion badges” were reportedly sold at $29.99 each. A promotional video remains live on YouTube. The settlement has been paid.

The makers of the “Invisible Mask” — which New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda touted as a shield against COVID-19 — have agreed to a settlement following a FTC complaint that charged them with making a host of “deceptive claims.”https://t.co/SeT7GdwUCD

— THE CITY (@THECITYNY) December 13, 2023