Coronavirus ‘Snake Oil Salesmen’ Target of State Law Enforcers (1)

The new coronavirus pandemic has proven to be such fertile ground for scam artists that Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel had to bring in an unconventional team to staff the state’s overwhelmed consumer complaint hotline.

Nessel enlisted state lawmakers this past weekend to field complaints about price gouging of disinfectants and other essential items, not to mention snake-oil cures and vaccines that don’t yet exist for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The deluge of calls, emails, Facebook messages, and letters hasn’t let up.

“You’re best able to take advantage of somebody in times when they’re scared,” Nessel ...