Two national associations urged Congress in a Jan. 31 letter to assist in eradicating personal protective equipment fraud that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.
ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, wrote the letter on behalf of the PPE Fraud Coalition.
"The urgency of the demand, combined with restricted travel forced many of the companies to modify their normal processes for vetting new suppliers — to aid US end-users," the letter states. "This created both opportunity and financial incentive for fraudulent transactions by foreign suppliers. In many cases signed contracts required significant down payments and large bank transfers to guarantee orders."
The letter requests a congressional hearing investigating the impact of the fraud, assistance in identifying and prosecuting guilty parties and assistance with efforts to recover lost funding.