Online solar eclipse scam reported to Ohio Attorney General's office

The total solar eclipse is just days away and the Ohio Attorney General's Office received a complaint that potentially fake glasses may be listed for sale online.

The state attorney general's office received a complaint March 19 about possibly fake glasses being sold on Amazon. The listing for the glasses stated that they were "NASA approved."

NASA does not endorse glasses, said Rick Fienberg, project manager for the solar eclipse task force of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that promotes scientific education and research. The AAS, however, does offer a list of approved glasses vendors online.

Read More: Don't be blinded by solar eclipse scams. Here's how Ohioans can spot them

The person who filed the complaint told the attorney general's office that he or she notified Amazon on March 5 and March 14 about the falsely-endorsed glasses, but that they still remained for sale.

"Amazon needs to respect public health and stop (the) spread of misinformation and unsafe products," the complainant wrote. "It needs to remove all questionable items and/or their fake claims."

Anyone who suspects a business is using deceptive sales practices can contact the Ohio Attorney General's office online or by calling 800-282-0515, a spokesperson told The Dispatch.

Ohioans who want to see the eclipse should beware taking a gander at it with the naked eye, according to NASA. Looking directly at the sun could "instantly cause severe eye injury," the space agency has stated.

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio AG's office gets report of fake solar eclipse glasses sold online