CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Legal Newsline) – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Viatek Consumer Products Group Inc. and company owner and President Lou Lentine will settle after allegations of false claims about Viatek-brand Mosquito Shield Bands.
“With Zika virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses in the news, consumers might be looking for products that protect them from mosquitoes,” Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said. “The defendants took advantage of those concerns, and peddled a product without having scientific support that it effectively prevented mosquito bites.”
Lentine and Viatek allegedly marketed the wristbands to consumers directly and through retailers. The defendants told consumers the bands would protect users from being bitten by mosquitoes, the FTC charged. These wristbands were purported to create a “vapor barrier” that shielded people from being bitten and provides users with 96 to 120 hours of protection. The FTC believes the company had insufficient scientific data to back up these claims.
The consent order mandates that the defendants pay $300,000 and have competent and reliable scientific data to support any future claims they make.
The FTC voted 3-0 to file the proposed stipulated final judgment.