Overture 3D printer filament is a popular choice, but be careful where you purchase it.
Why the need for extra care? It turns out there is a scam ongoing regarding that company’s products.
In a post on Facebook, Overture writes:
“URGENT ALERT: Fraudulent ads are promoting fake Overture3D websites selling filament at suspiciously low prices. These scams aim to steal your info. We’re actively working to get these fraudulent sites taken down. If you ordered from one of these sites, please contact your bank to report fraudulent activity.
Protect Yourself: Always make sure the website URL is consistent with the store name, and use PayPal or Shopify Checkout for an added layer of security. Stay safe!”
I haven’t seen these ads myself, but my contacts tell me they saw the fraudulent ads and became suspicious. After some investigation, they found the alert from Overture.
Scams are not new, and there are industrial-scale scam operations taking place right now across the globe. It’s not surprising that some have turned to the 3D printing market as a new space for scams to appear.
It’s even easier these days because it is now possible to use a variety of commonly used AI tools to automatically generate entire websites in mere minutes. As with any powerful tool, AI can be used for good or evil. In this case, it’s evil.
The ads and scam sites are designed to be highly attractive, yet also extract data and money from you in an efficient manner.
Don’t fall for fake ads and websites; do some investigation before clicking on any link. Remember that if something seems too good to be true, it may very well be fake.
A good best practice is to simply go to the known good source and not rely on advertising links. For example, if an ad suggested there was a great deal on Overture filaments, just go to the Overture site directly and see if the same deal is present there. If not, then you know something most people don’t.
Via Facebook
