As 3M rushes to produce and distribute hundreds of millions of the much-needed N95 masks, they are also faced with fighting fraudulent attempts to sell nonexistent masks and at grossly inflated prices, all while falsely of associated themselves with 3M. For example, one “supplier” was attempting to sell 20 million masks at $5-6 each, which when attempts to prove they actually existed never materialized.
Our former Austin Partner Bill Childs, who joined 3M’s legal team last fall, reached and Dimple Desai Shah and David Campbell are now a part of a multi-firm team that has at least 10 matters currently underway. Bill Childs was also quoted in The Wall Street Journal on the topic:
Bill Childs, a lawyer for 3M, said vendors have flocked to government contracting agents because “that’s where the money is.” 3M has filed lawsuits against prospective mask sellers, accusing them of trying to sell to government officials at high prices while pretending to be associated with 3M.
Below are the press releases from 3M:
3M Files Lawsuit in Alleged N95 Price Gouging Attempt of the Strategic National Stockpile
3M Files Lawsuit in Canada Over Deceptive N95 Online Retail Sales and Price Gouging