Scammers are selling facial masks for the Coronavirus pandemic, that are not capable of offering any protection against the virus.
Using Amazon as their retailing storefront, or through other social media ads, such as on Instagram and Facebook, these fraudulent sellers originate mostly from China.
A new investigative report focusing on Amazon sellers of face masks, is telling everyone to beware of such sellers, and it analyzes the domain names used by them.
China-based manufacturers are using drop-shippers in the US to peddle this fake “N95 mask” junk you’ve seen in ads:
“It appears that some mask sellers from China are trying hard to make us buy directly from their sites instead of using Amazon’s trusted fulfillment systems. I did some investigations to see who these guys are and have some advice for anyone in the market for masks like me!”
Here are some sample domains used by the Chinese scammers, as reported:
Says the report:
“So if you are looking for some masks on Amazon and have Amazon Prime, make sure you are buying the masks that are being fulfilled by Amazon fulfillment to ensure you have proper protection against potential scams and fraud.”
Bottom line: avoid buying face masks and other protective gear from peddlers using fresh domains and who offer no direct fulfillment by Amazon. Domain age is a crucial indicator of the seller’s legitimacy.
