🛑 Behind the Curtain: How the Kratom Industry Hides Behind Deceptive Marketing and False Addresses

When my son Joseph died from Kratom toxicity, I needed answers. Who sold this to him? Where did it come from? Why was it legal?

What I discovered was a disturbing truth: the Kratom industry is designed to deceive. The companies making millions from this drug use false addresses, anonymous shell corporations, and marketing loopholes to avoid oversight and accountability.

Even worse, they violate consumer protection laws—and get away with it.

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⚠️ False Addresses, Shell Companies, and UPS Boxes

Many Kratom brands appear trustworthy at first glance. But try digging deeper. You’ll find:

• UPS store mailboxes disguised as business addresses

• Virtual offices used to dodge lawsuits

• Generic LLCs with no traceable ownership

• Websites with no phone number or contact person

Take, for example, Remarkable Herbs. Despite being one of the largest Kratom brands, their listed address is a UPS Store box—meaning families like mine cannot even serve legal papers when someone dies. That’s not accidental. It’s a systemic attempt to avoid responsibility.

These tactics violate basic consumer protection principles.

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📜 The Laws These Companies Violate

Under U.S. law, companies that sell products to consumers must follow basic truth-in-advertising and transparency rules:

• Accurate Business Listings:

The Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act, Section 5) prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.”

• Truth in Advertising:

FTC Truth-in-Advertising Standards require that advertising be “truthful and not misleading,” especially about health effects or safety.

• Failure to Identify Ownership can violate state-level Business Corporation Laws, such as New York’s General Business Law § 349 and similar laws in other states.

Despite this, Kratom vendors hide behind fake storefronts while pushing an unregulated, addictive drug—a product that has already been linked to seizures, psychosis, liver failure, and death.

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🧪 “Not for Human Consumption”: The Industry’s Dirty Trick

You’ve likely seen Kratom products labeled:

• “Not for human consumption”

• “Botanical incense”

• “For research purposes only”

These labels are intentionally deceptive. They allow companies to avoid legal accountability while openly selling Kratom to be ingested. These loopholes are the reason you’ll find Kratom in gas stations and vape shops next to energy drinks.

But let’s be clear: everyone knows it’s being consumed. These disclaimers are not about safety. They’re about legal evasion.

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📚 Real Case Examples of Kratom Company Deception

1. FTC Warning Letters Issued to Kratom Sellers (2022):

In 2022, the FTC issued multiple warning letters to Kratom companies for making illegal health claims like treating pain, depression, or opioid withdrawal—without FDA approval or scientific backing.

2. Death Linked to Kratom from Untraceable Vendors:

In cases like Joseph’s, and others reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), families struggle to even identify the vendor, much less pursue accountability.

3. NPR Investigation (2023):

A national NPR report exposed how some Kratom products were contaminated, mislabeled, or linked to fatal overdoses—but the brands could not be easily traced back to real companies.

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⚖️ Why This Is a Consumer Protection Crisis

• You can’t sue a PO box.

• You can’t demand a refund from a shell LLC.

• You can’t protect your children when there’s no warning label.

This isn’t just a public health issue—it’s a consumer justice emergency.

How can families grieve, fight, or seek legal recourse if the companies behind these deaths aren’t even traceable?

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🚨 What Needs to Change Immediately

1. Federal Ban on Kratom – Schedule Kratom as a controlled substance to prevent further harm.

2. Transparent Business Registration Laws – Require companies selling ingestible products to list real names and physical addresses.

3. Prosecution of Violators – The FTC, FDA, and state attorneys general must hold Kratom companies accountable for deceptive marketing, mislabeled packaging, and evading service.

4. Consumer Access to Product Origin – Any product sold for human use should be traceable—from manufacturer to store shelf.

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🕯️ My Son Deserved Better. All of Our Children Do.

My son didn’t die because of a single mistake. He died because an entire industry operates in the shadows, protected by weak laws and misleading labels. When I tried to get justice, I was blocked at every turn by phantom companies and fake storefronts.

I will not stop fighting until these companies are exposed—and held accountable.

If this could happen to Joseph, it could happen to your child, too.

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✅ How You Can Help

• Share this article on social media and tag elected officials.

• File complaints with the FTC and FDA MedWatch.

• Support federal and state bans like the Joseph Lumbrazo Kratom Ban Act.

• Demand truth-in-labeling laws for all consumable products.

Let’s end the deception. Let’s stop the harm.