U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for a crackdown on what he says are phony pills, gloves, inhalers, masks, shampoos and even air fresheners sold on the Internet as remedies for swine flu.

The New York Democrat says scam artists are preying on the fear of the H1N1 virus and making the flu season worse. He says consumers who buy the items are less likely to get vaccinated and more likely to catch and spread the swine flu.

Schumer tells The Associated Press he's making his request Monday to the Federal Trade Commission.

He's asking FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz (LEE'-boh-witz) to act immediately on the "hucksters" and to identify scammers publicly. Schumer is also contacting Dr. Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.