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ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, in coordination with the PPE Fraud Coalition, requested U.S. congressional assistance to address personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud. The letter describes how demand for PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic created opportunities for deceptive contracts between U.S. businesses and foreign PPE suppliers that were either abandoned without fulfillment or delivered counterfeit, substandard, or even soiled products.

The coalition addressed the letter to U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), the Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security for the hearing on “Stopping COVID-19 Fraud and Price Gouging” held on February 1.

“PPE helps protect the general public and essential workers. The urgent demand for these products and travel restrictions forced businesses across the United States to modify their supplier vetting process, opening the door to fraudulent contracts,” said ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft. “We need congressional action to prevent future fraudulent transactions and recover the more than $100 million lost or held up overseas.”

The letter requests a congressional hearing investigating the impacts of PPE fraud, help to identify and prosecute criminals involved, and assistance with efforts to recover lost funds in Asia.

For more information about PPE fraud, click here.