Man sentenced for selling fake Covid-19 treatment kits

Undated handout photo issued by City of London Police of evidence used in the case of an alleged fraudster accused of attempting to sell dozens of fake coronavirus treatment kits around the world. Frank Ludlow, 59, who appeared in Brighton Magistrates' Court last month, where he was remanded in custody until April 20, has now been charged in Los Angeles federal court with introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and could face up to three years in prison if convicted, according to the US attorney’s office.
Evidence used in the fake Covid-19 treatments case of Frank Ludlow Credit: City of London police

A man has been sentenced for making £12,000 by selling fake Covid-19 treatment kits.

Frank Ludlow was caught after a package containing 60 of his kits, which were made from a mixture of chemicals including hydrogen peroxide, was intercepted by US customs in Los Angeles.

City of London Police were alerted on March 20 and Ludlow was arrested four hours later at a Post Office as he was attempting to send 60 more fake kits to France, the US and other parts of the UK.

He pleaded guilty to attempting to supply an unauthorised medicinal product, possessing an unauthorised medicinal product, and assembling an unauthorised product, and was sentenced to a 10-month suspended prison term. He was also ordered to carry out 170 hours of unpaid work.

Credit: City of London Police

Detective Chief Superintendent Clinton Blackburn said the fake kits could have given those who used them the “false hope” that they had been cured of coronavirus and therefore increased the risk of spreading the disease.

  • Ludlow made approximately £12,000 from selling the fake kits online, which were priced at between £1 and £100, but cost only £1 to make

  • Police found 300 treatment kits at his home, with an estimated 20 litres of chemicals to be used in their production

  • The kits contained hydrogen peroxide concentration of 6.5% (v/v); potassium thiocyanate, ascorbic acid, an unknown enzyme, as well as bees pollen and vitamin C.

Frank Ludlow - sentenced for covid-19 fake testing kits Credit: City of London police

A previous court hearing was told that Ludlow believed in the effectiveness of the kits, was evangelical about their use, and had previously used them with the aim of treating HIV patients in Africa as well as for people with Lyme disease, malaria and dengue fever.