The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission are actively monitoring fraudulent claims and urging consumers to report any they might encounter. If there is an express or implied claim that the product prevents or treats Ebola, that would be cause for intervention, as there are currently no FDA-approved vaccines or prescription or over-the-counter drugs to fight the virus.

"It's hard to tell how widespread it is at this point," said Richard Cleland, assistant director for the Division of Advertising Practices at FTC. "The concern is that if the public anxiety over Ebola continues to grow, we're going to see more and more."

The FDA and FTC have sent three warning letters thus far: to Natural Solutions Foundation, which is marketing Nano Silver as a cure for Ebola; and to Young Living and DōTerra International, which are both marketing essential oils to combat the virus.

"Often these things have some conceivable scientific basis that is then really overstated," said Dr. Jesse Goodman, a professor of medicine at Georgetown University. "We know for example that Nano Silver has properties where if viruses come into contact, it might counteract [them]. That's correct—but it has not been proven correct in humans."

Some companies will market their products as dietary supplements, or avoid making direct treatment or prevention claims in an attempt to avoid crossing the regulatory line.

"The only gray area is whether they're making a claim," Cleland said. "If they're running an article that talks about the Ebola epidemic and then selling vitamins and minerals that they're touting as increasing immunity and the immune system—to me that's a pretty clearly implied claim to have some effect on preventing and reducing Ebola. I don't really think there's any fuzziness on that."

One advertisement stands out as particularly crazy. "I saw one for snake venom that caused me to raise eyebrows," Cleland said.

So was that a claim addressed by the FDA and FTC? "I think you won't find it anymore."

But much of the current profiteering is less clear-cut from a regulatory perspective. Companies are also hiking prices of supplies like bleach or masks, or attempting to scare people into thinking they personally need Ebola protective gear—claims that are not themselves fraudulent, and thus not subject to regulatory measures.

"From an FTC perspective, unless companies are misrepresenting or failing to disclose material information, we wouldn't have a basis for action," Cleland said. "Consumers have to assess for themselves what the need for those types of products are."

While these supplies are not harmful, in the way false drug claims could be, the average American's need for them is zero. And believing otherwise could set consumers back as much as $497. (That suit's manufacturer, Immediate Response Technologies, could not be reached late Friday for comment.)