As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect nations globally, some conspiracy theories are linking 5G to COVID-19 susceptibility. Inside Towers reported that anti-5G sentiment in the U.K. has grown and in April arsonists took to setting towers ablaze. Now, a scam has emerged in the form of a device that claims to “protect people against the supposed dangers of 5G spectrum,” reported Engadget.
London’s Trading Standards office, in partnership with City of London police, are attempting to stop the sale of this device, a USB stick called the 5GBioShield. According to Stephen Knight, operations director for London Trading Standards, the agency is working to obtain a court order to take down BioShield’s website.
The website claims the USB device, priced at approximately $349, “provides protection for your home and family, thanks to the wearable holographic nano-layer catalyzer…” After vetting the product, Pen Test Partners found “there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary” about the 5GBioShield device. The USB comes with a modest 128 MB capacity, an inexpensive sticker, and a 25-page PDF with information on the product, but that’s it.
Sales of the device began picking up after members of the Glastonbury 5G Advisory Committee “endorsed” the product. “We use this device and find it helpful,” they wrote and included a link to BioShield’s website. These claims prompted the BBC to investigate the story and the committee’s report. It appears many of the people who worked on the report had a biased opinion of 5G. Plus, the committee admitted using testimony from a variety of pseudo-scientific sources, reported Engadget.
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