N95 respirator masks. Photo: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Federal authorities are investigating counterfeit N95 masks that have been sold to hospitals, government agencies and medical facilities in at least five states, AP reports.
Why it matters: "Nearly a year into the pandemic, fraud remains a major problem as scammers seek to exploit hospitals and desperate and weary Americans," AP's Colleen Long writes. The masks, designed to look like they are produced by the global manufacturer 3M, "are becoming increasingly difficult to spot and could put health care workers at grave risk for the coronavirus."
Go deeper: Coronavirus fraud is everywhere