Don’t let solar eclipse burn your cash: BBB scam warning
CLEVELAND, Ohio – As the April 8 total solar eclipse draws near the Better Business Bureau is warning people about counterfeit or knock-off solar glasses, and other eclipse related scams.
“A big event like this brings out the scammers,” said Ericka Dilworth, Director of Operations for the Better Business Bureau of Cleveland.
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“Anything that’s going to cause you to use your money to spend your money related to this event you know scammers are going to try to take advantage of you,” said Dilworth.
“The most important thing is if you are viewing the eclipse is to have the proper eye protection and those eclipse glasses or filters for your viewing device is required,” said Chris Barker, Director of Emergency Operations for the Summit County Department of Health.
“One of the main requirements is the iso certification as you can see it is iso 12312-2 thats the required standard that your glasses must comply with,” he said.
The Better Business Bureau is aware that scammers can have that number printed on their glasses.
So, if someone is buying their solar glasses in a store one trick they recommend is to use the flashlight on your cell phone.
Dilworth says if you hold that flashlight up to the lenses on the solar glasses and you can’t see the certification code through the lens they are probably authentic.
If you are purchasing online, the BBB recommends you buy from a trusted vendor and do some homework.
The American Astronomical Society has published a list of vendors the organization said can be trusted.
During a Tuesday news conference, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson some online vendors are known to have advertised solar glasses as having been endorsed by NASA, but NASA does not approve any particular brand of solar viewers.
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The Better Business Bureau has other concerns to help avoid solar scammers. they include hotel and Vacation Rentals
The BBB says consumers making last-minute plans may encounter trouble finding an accommodation that suits their needs.
Consumers should carefully research vacation rental listings as well as hotel websites. Many times well-recognized industry names are spoofed, or imitated by less reputable companies to trick users into thinking they’re dealing with the hotel or owner directly. Consumers should look for red flags such as a property owner requiring a renter or hotel guest to wire them money outside of the platform.
Another red flag is fake eclipse watch party events.
The Better Business Bureau cautions against Pop-up events where scammers may create fake event pages and charge admission for a free event. Confirm with the organizer of the event if there is an admission fee.
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