MLM Companies Receive COVID-19 Warnings from FTC

Ten major multi-level marketing companies peddled fake coronavirus cures and preyed on the newly unemployed during the pandemic's darkest months.

The Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters on April 24th to doTerra, Pruvit, Total Life Changes, Tranont, Modere, Arbonne, IDLife, It Works, Rodan & Fields, and Zurvita. The FTC wasn't just targeting false medical claims this time. It also flagged the companies and their distributors for exploiting the economic chaos of COVID-19 by dangling unrealistic earnings promises to desperate people.

The pitch was consistent across most operations: buy our products, get rich quick, and cure a deadly virus in the process.

DoTerra distributors claimed that eating alkaline foods like lemons and limes could beat coronavirus. The logic was nonsensical—they suggested that because such foods have a higher pH than the virus, they could somehow neutralize it. Meanwhile, the company targeted laid-off workers with promises of "financial independence."

Pruvit went after the same vulnerable population. Distributors claimed the company's products boosted immune systems and reduced COVID-19 risk. Marketing materials pushed people out of work with promises that they could "earn $1,730 literally in their first 10 days in the business."

Total Life Changes pushed its Nutraburst supplement as a way to "fight off corona." Distributors encouraged people to call recently laid-off friends and family with a pitch that went roughly: we're all quarantined and broke anyway, so let's make money online. The math was seductive. Fifty people buying $20 products equals $1,000. Simple.

Tranont made claims that its Restore supplement—a proteolytic enzyme—could break down the viral proteins that make up coronavirus. The company specifically targeted jobless people, offering visions of "over $1 million a year" in earnings. One pitch acknowledged the economic desperation directly, telling potential recruits that even "with the crazy economy, you can build something massive."

Modere, Arbonne, IDLife, It Works, Rodan & Fields, and Zurvita also received letters, though specific examples from their operations weren't detailed in the FTC's public disclosures.

What made these warnings particularly significant was the FTC's inclusion of earnings claims alongside false health claims. MLM companies have long been accused of pushing income promises that almost never materialize. The pandemic gave distributors an angle: economic collapse. As people lost jobs and faced lockdowns, they became targets for recruitment into schemes that offered escape routes that didn't actually exist.

The FTC's action marked a rare moment of enforcement during a period when misinformation about COVID-19 exploded across the internet. But warning letters are civil enforcement tools. They tell companies to stop, but they don't carry the teeth of criminal charges or substantial fines. Whether these warnings actually curbed the behavior is another question entirely. By that point in the pandemic, the damage was already done. People had already been infected with false hope and false cures.

🤖 Quick Answer

What action did the FTC take against MLM companies during the COVID-19 pandemic?

On April 24th, the Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to ten major multi-level marketing companies, including doTerra, Pruvit, and It Works. The FTC targeted false medical claims about coronavirus cures and flagged exploitative practices, as these companies and their distributors promoted unrealistic earnings promises to unemployed individuals during the pandemic.

Which MLM companies received FTC warning letters regarding COVID-19 violations?

The Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to doTerra, Pruvit, Total Life Changes, Tranont, Modere, Arbonne, IDLife, It Works, Rodan & Fields, and Zurvita. These companies were cited for making false coronavirus cure claims and exploiting economic hardship by promoting unrealistic income opportunities to vulnerable populations seeking employment.

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