Supplements and Medicines
The supplements industry is largely unregulated.
Some supplements may be worse than others, even if you trust the source.
Tests conducted byConsumerLabfound problems with three of four spirulina supplements, with one sample being contaminated with lead.
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There have beenmany other reportsof heavy metals, salmonella, and toxic fungi appearing in supplements.
The answer seems to be ensuring that your brand of supplements are independently verified by reputable labs.
Many sellers are motivated by hype, as has been seen withreports of fake Ivermectin being sold online.
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Hype drives demand, and demand sparks profiteering.
Always talk to a doctor before buying medicines from any source.
It’s the real-world equivalent of sending banknotes in the mail.
Related:10 Facebook Marketplace Scams to Watch Out For
Auction websites like eBay exist for this reason.
Don’t use Facebook Marketplace to buy items from sellers who you aren’t meeting in person.
Use websites like eBay or Etsy instead, or set up your ownonline shop using a service like Shopify.
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Buy from official sources if you’re concerned about fake merchandise.
If you spot something significantly cheaper than similar items, you should immediately be suspicious.
At best, theseller is dropshipping.
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Reading reviews won’t necessarily help since scammers know how touse fake reviews to increase their ratings.
Meanwhile, you’ll be left with sub-par goods, for which you won’t get an official warranty.
We’ve been caught out like this before with not-really-Sennheiserheadphones.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
All Sennheiser offered was to throw the item away for us.
Digital Codes
Cheap digital codes for games or storefront gift cards should immediately ring alarm bells.
The problem with using stolen credit cards to buy up codes for games wholesale has beenwell-documented.
Indie developer TinyBuild claims to havelost $450,000 to G2A scammers.
Unfortunately, this means buying a second-hand bike is a bit of a minefield.
You should also trawl local Facebook groups dedicated to finding stolen bikes too.
Even so, it doesn’t hurt to be careful.
Scammers post images of a property and even encourage potential tenants or buyers to inspect in person.
When it’s time to proceed or move in, the supposed owner is nowhere to be found.
Existing tenants or owners will be none the wiser that their houses were used as part of a scam.
Another is to be very careful when doing business over classified websites.
Visit multiple times to ensure they are who they say they are.
Thoroughly research the property and the person selling it before handing any money over.
If you must buy “sight unseen” then do so using a reputable agent.
The service has been known to be used by scammers and scalpers, with little protection for buyers.
One particular shady Facebook practice involvescreating events for shows and pointing attendees to unofficial reseller websites.
confirm you understand any of these requirements before you buy.
Fromemails that make a run at phish your passwordstotech support scams,fake job recruiters, anddodgy Facebook competitions.
Stay safe out there!
Related:The Tech Support Scammers Called HTG (So We Had Fun with Them)
