Better Business Bureau warns consumers to be careful of possible resale scams with stores in Metro Vancouver selling out of face masks and global concerns about COVID-19 increasing.
The stores were already selling out of face masks weeks ago and since then, there have been confirmed cases in the province, and the World Health Organization has declared coronavirus a global health emergency.
According to BBB in a news release, the headlines about the increasing number of fatalities have led to increasing demand for the masks to help reduce the risk of exposure to the virus, even though they were not designed for this purpose and do not offer significant protection.
Healthcare professionals have made similar remarks about the effectiveness of face masks, indicating that they are most useful for preventing sick people from spreading their illness to others.
Online shopping comes with the risks of stumbling into scammers and when buying these masks, the dangers are no different. Consumers must watch out for fake websites harvesting credit card information, sponsored ads posted by fraudsters that offer prices that are too good to be true, deceptive posts disguising malicious links and fake social media business profiles that take your money and give you nothing in return.
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Learn how to stay safe by enrolling in a mask fitting test which is a requirement for many workplaces and school admissions or check the available masks for sale by visiting our face mask sale page.
Coronavirus: What Is the Best Kind of Face Mask? – BBC Future
Are Face Masks Effective in Reducing Coronavirus Spread? – LiveScience