FTC files complaint, alleging deceptive marketing of insect-repelling wrist bands

The Federal Trade Commission is filing a complaint against a company that makes wrist bands intended to repel insects, saying there is no evidence they work.

Online listings say the Viatek Bugband10 repels mosquitoes and other pests up to five days. The FTC says the Tennessee-based company doesn't have reliable scientific evidence supporting those claims and calls its marketing deceptive.

Viatek did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Bugband10 could not be found on Viatek's website but were available online at retailers including Amazon and Wal-Mart.

The FTC's complaint names Viatek Consumer Products Group and its president, Lou Lentine. The agency says Lentine is violating an order from 2003 that involved a device that was supposed to keep insects, mice and rats away using electromagnetic waves.