Consumer News: Consumer product knockoffs are a growing problem

Confusing prices, disappointing products, and checkout surprises are just a few

• Dont assume everything costs $1.25: Dollar Trees multiple price points make checking shelf tags and receipts more important.

• Compare the actual value: Smaller packages can cost more per ounce, bag, or tablet than larger packages elsewhere.

• Cheap isnt a bargain if you replace it: Consider quality, test unfamiliar products before stocking up, and watch prices as they ring up.

Dollar Tree is still one of those stores where it's remarkably easy to walk in for gift bags and leave with snacks, batteries, and six things you didn't know you needed.

But the shopping experience has changed.

Dollar Tree has expanded beyond its original single-price model, with merchandise now available at several higher price points.

A recent The Daily Meal article examined some common Dollar Tree customer complaints gathered from online reviews and consumer feedback. They range from confusing prices to product quality and checkout problems.

Customer complaints are often anecdotal and don't mean you'll have the same experience. But several of these provide some useful lessons for your next Dollar Tree run.

Don't assume you know the price

This might be the biggest adjustment for longtime shoppers.

The Daily Meal found complaints from customers frustrated by Dollar Tree's expanding price points, including merchandise costing $3, $5, $7, or more.

What to do: Look at the shelf tag instead of assuming something costs $1.25 based on where it's sitting. Pay particular attention when grabbing similar products from the same shelf. Something sitting next to a $1.25 item doesn't necessarily cost $1.25.

Compare how much you're actually getting

One of the easiest dollar-store traps is confusing low price with good value.

A $1.25 package certainly feels cheaper than a $4 package at a supermarket or big-box store. But look at how much product you're actually getting.

A smaller package can cost more per ounce, sheet, bag or tablet. For example, 10 trash bags for $1.25 works out to 12.5 cents per bag. A package of 40 for $4 costs only 10 cents each.

Dollar Tree requires less money today, but the larger package is the better value. Its smart to use your phone's calculator to compare unit prices on products you buy regularly.

Think about what happens if the cheap version disappoints

The Daily Meal also highlighted complaints from shoppers unhappy with the quality or durability of certain purchases. That's where it's smart to separate disposable bargains from products you expect to last.

A cheap party decoration needed for one night has a very different job from batteries, kitchen tools, or household products you're expecting to use repeatedly.

What to do: Ask yourself one question before buying: If this doesn't work well, will I immediately have to buy another one? If the answer is yes, spending a little more elsewhere may actually save you money.

Pro tip: Try one before stocking up on an unfamiliar product simply because the price looks good.

Watch the register closely

Another complaint highlighted by The Daily Meal involves shoppers saying checkout prices didn't match what they expected. That's particularly worth watching now that Dollar Tree has multiple price points.

What to do: Keep an eye on the register as your items are scanned, especially anything you thought was $1.25. Then check your receipt before leaving for unexpected prices, duplicate scans, or incorrect quantities.

Pro tip: If a shelf price looks particularly good, snap a photo of the tag. If the item rings up differently, you'll have the displayed price handy.

The bottom line

None of this means Dollar Tree has stopped offering bargains.

The lesson from the complaints is simply that Dollar Tree isn't a place where you should automatically assume you're getting the cheapest option anymore.

Check the price. Compare the package size. Decide whether quality matters. And watch what rings up.

Because sometimes the most expensive $1.25 purchase is the one you have to replace a week later.

The latest scam promises up to $600 a day for barely an hour of work. Here's how to spot the trap.

• Scammers are impersonating Amazon recruiters. Consumers receive texts promising $100 to $600 a day for as little as 60 to 90 minutes of remote work.

• Do the reality check before responding. Ask whether you actually applied, calculate the supposed hourly wage, and verify openings directly through Amazons official jobs site.

• Never pay to get paid. Dont send money, crypto, gift cards, or sensitive financial information to a supposed employer.

Have you received a text saying Amazon wants to hire you for a remote job paying hundreds of dollars a day? It might sound like an incredible opportunity, but unfortunately, its almost certainly fake.

Kurt Knutsson of CyberGuy, reporting for Fox News, recently flagged a new wave of scam texts impersonating Amazon recruiters. The messages promise $100 to $600 per day for as little as 60 to 90 minutes of work, along with perks like paid time off and free training.

The pitch is tempting, but it contains several red flags that can help you spot the scam before you respond.

Ask yourself: Did I apply?

This might be the easiest red flag.

The scam message claims a recruiter reviewed your "background," but there's no mention of an application, previous conversation, or specific position you supposedly applied for.

An unsolicited recruiting message isn't automatically fraudulent, but an amazing job opportunity appearing out of nowhere does deserve a closer look.

First off, don't click a link in the text to investigate. Instead, go independently to Amazon's official jobs website and search for the position yourself.

Do the hourly-pay math

The scam promises up to $600 for about 90 minutes of work. That's $400 an hour.

Yet the message doesn't explain what specialized skills could possibly justify that compensation.

Scammers may be pairing easy work with high pay because they want you focused on the money instead of asking whether the offer makes any sense.

Pro tip: Whenever you see a daily earnings claim, be sure to calculate the hourly wage. If an easy, entry-level side hustle suddenly pays like a highly specialized profession, that's a giant red flag.

Don't reply just to see what happens

Some of these texts don't initially contain a suspicious link, which for some, can make them look less dangerous. Instead, the sender simply asks you to reply "YES" or "INTERESTED."

That may seem harmless, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that unexpected job texts can lead to "task ."

Victims may be asked to complete simple online activities while watching supposed earnings accumulate in an account. Eventually, they're told they need to deposit their own money to continue working or withdraw their earnings.

The balance on the screen may be fake, but the money you send isn't, so be careful.

Never pay to get paid

This is the rule worth remembering even when scammers change their tactics. A legitimate employer shouldn't require you to send money to receive your wages.

Be suspicious if a supposed employer asks you to deposit money, send cryptocurrency, buy gift cards, pay a fee, or purchase equipment through a specific vendor.

The FTC's advice is simple: Never pay anyone to get paid.

Ignore the countdown clock

The Amazon impersonation text reportedly claims only 18 positions remain. That's classic scam psychology.

Phrases like "limited positions," "respond immediately," or "spots filling fast" create urgency so you'll act before investigating.

The more urgent an unsolicited job opportunity sounds, the more slowly you should proceed.

What if you already replied?

Simply responding doesn't mean you've automatically lost money.

Be sure to stop communicating and don't provide your Social Security number, banking information, passwords, or any other sensitive information.

If you've already sent money or provided any financial information, contact your bank or card issuer immediately and report the incident to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

New survey finds consumers want more transparency as cameras become increasingly common in everyday device

• 72% of Americans worry about being secretly recorded by camera-equipped wearables in public, according to a new Security.org survey.

• Only 20% of adults are very confident they could recognize smart glasses with cameras, raising concerns as recording devices become harder to spot.

• Consumers can take steps to protect their privacy, including keeping sensitive information out of view and pushing for clearer recording rules and visible indicators.

Camera-equipped wearables are becoming harder to spot and that has some Americans worried about their privacy.

As reports suggest Apple could add cameras to future AirPods to support features like Visual Intelligence, concerns about where and when people can be recorded are moving beyond smart glasses and into everyday devices.

A new survey from Security.org of more than 1,000 Americans found that 72% are worried about being secretly recorded by camera-equipped wearables in public. Meanwhile, 85% support requiring smart glasses to display a visible indicator when theyre recording.

With wearable cameras becoming more common, ConsumerAffairs spoke with Security.org cybersecurity expert, Brett Cruz, who explained that consumers may need to think carefully about what these devices can capture and whether the people around them even know theyre being recorded.

The risks of being recorded

One of the primary privacy risks here is that recording devices are becoming harder to spot.

Camera-equipped smart glasses look nearly indistinguishable from regular glasses to bystanders, and our own survey data reflects that, Cruz said. Only 20% of adults say theyre very confident they could recognize smart glasses being worn in public.

As cameras get built into more everyday accessories, that problem only becomes worse. You lose the visual cues (for example, someone holding up a phone) that used to signal you might be on camera.

Another risk here is that consumers often cant tell the difference between a device thats capturing a quick contextual snapshot versus one thats recording them continuously, and as Cruz points out, companies dont always make that distinction obvious.

Regulations for smartglasses wearers

The survey found that nearly a quarter of people who own smartglasses dont disclose when theyre recording. This leads to an important ethical question: Should there be some kind of regulation or etiquette established for those smartglasses wearers when theyre recording?

Most owners in our research were using their glasses for pretty ordinary things, like snapping hands-free sports photos or a parent capturing a moment theyd otherwise miss, Cruz said. The problem is that disclosure just isnt built into the habit of using these devices yet, and only 4% of owners say they always tell people nearby when theyre recording.

As for regulations, Id expect the near-term path to be place-to-place restrictions rather than one sweeping federal law. For example, Pennsylvanias proposed bill would fold a visible recording-light requirement into its wiretapping law, and New York has already banned recording-capable eyewear from all of its courthouses. Sensitive venues like courthouses and medical offices are the logical next places to see bans or mandatory indicator requirements before we likely see anything resembling a national standard.

Take control of the things you can control

In the absence of formal legislation covering smartglasses and recording, Cruz shared some advice for consumers who may be worried about being unknowingly recorded in public.

• Know that consent isnt required to film someone in public. Legally, you cant stop someone from photographing or filming you on a public sidewalk, so the more effective move is limiting whats visible.

• Keep screens, documents, PINs, and passwords out of view. Smartglasses can capture that kind of information in plain sight without you noticing.

• Reduce whats exposed elsewhere. Shoulder-surfing through smartglasses is most dangerous when a stray recorded detail such as a name, partial phone number, etc. can be cross-referenced with information already public about you. I suggest using a service to shrink the pool of publicly-available information a bad actor could pair footage with. Data removal services, for instance, are on the rise.

• Push for group-level change. Individual habits only go so far. The more durable fix is businesses posting no-recording policies, workplaces setting clear rules, and public pressure for the kind of indicator-light legislation already gaining traction.

Rising costs and losses for peanut and corn growers could trickle down to shoppers this Halloween

• Peanut growers went from making a profit in 2024 to losing money in 2025, according to an analysis of USDA data.

• Higher costs for fuel, fertilizer, pesticides and other farm inputs are squeezing growers margins, making it more difficult to absorb rising expenses.

• If farmers plant less of these key candy ingredients, tighter supplies could push prices higher, potentially making some Halloween treats more expensive for shoppers.

Halloween candy is already starting to fill store shelves, but this year, your favorite treats could come with a slightly higher price tag.

Behind many of the candies filling trick-or-treat bags are crops like peanuts and corn, and new analysis of USDA data shows that farmers growing these key ingredients are facing significant financial challenges.

ConsumerAffairs spoke with Dusty Vauters, an agricultural expert at Mid-South Ag Equipment, who explained that peanut growers went from making a profit in 2024 to losing money in 2025 the biggest swing among the crops included in the analysis.

He explained that when it becomes more expensive to grow a crop than what farmers can earn from selling it, they may respond by planting less the following year. And eventually, those supply pressures can make their way down the food chain potentially affecting what consumers pay for Halloween candy.

Farming costs are increasing

Vauters explained that the cost of just about everything for farmers has climbed fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, and fungicides.

Those aren't optional line items they're what it takes to actually get a crop in the ground and keep it alive, he said.

Beyond that, everything that goes into the production, harvesting, cleaning, packing, and shipping of peanuts has gone up too. So it's not just one cost that jumped it's the whole chain, from planting through to getting the peanuts off the farm and ready for processing. When every single step in that process costs more than it used to, the margins get squeezed from every direction at once, and there's very little room left for growers to absorb it.

Shoppers feel the effects quickly

When farmers are forced to pull back on how much theyre planting, consumers can feel the effects. And according to Vauters, that transition happens faster than many people may realize.

If farmers as a group cut back planting by even 10%, the market feels it almost immediately this isn't something that takes a season to show up, he said. Prices would start rising right away, and anything downstream that depends on that commodity as an input would see its costs go up within a day or a week, not months.

That's because businesses and companies that need that commodity don't wait around they start bidding now for a smaller pool of future inventory, and that competition for a tighter supply is what pushes costs up the chain. By the time that ripples through to a finished product on a shelf, the groundwork for the price increase was actually laid the moment planting intentions changed.

So, if you notice the prices of your favorite Halloween candy are a bit steeper than in years past, it could be because of whats happening in farms across the country.

AI can make a home look better online than it does in person. Heres what buyers should know before making an offer.

• AI can do more than virtually stage a home. It can alter listing photos to hide damage, change finishes, and even make structural features appear that aren't really there.

• Buyers should look beyond the listing photos. Experts recommend checking county records, comparing photos with Street View or satellite imagery, and watching for signs of AI manipulation.

• A live walkthrough is your best defense. If you can't see the home in person, request a live video tour before making an offer or sending money, and make sure you have an inspection contingency.

Shopping for a home has always required a little imagination. A room might look better with different furniture, a fresh coat of paint, or some updated decor. But artificial intelligence is taking that idea much further, allowing listing photos to be altered in ways that can make it difficult for buyers to tell what a home actually looks like.

AI can remove cracks from drywall, add luxury countertops, and even alter architectural features, according to real estate and AI experts. For buyers particularly those shopping from out of state that can create a costly problem if they make an offer based largely on what they see online.

The safest approach? Don't assume listing photos tell the whole story, and whenever possible, see the home for yourself before buying.

AI can change more than the furniture

Virtual staging isn't necessarily a problem. Adding furniture to an empty room is a common practice, and AI can also make relatively minor changes to a photo.

But the technology can go much further.

Generative AI is allowing sellers and agents to do more than tweak brightness settings and use wide angle cameras, said Greg Field, a solar home Realtor at HomeSmart Realty Pros. He said AI can be used to remove cracks in dry wall, place luxury kitchen countertops that arent there, remove power lines, and make mountains magically appear out of standard suburban windows.

Russell Twilligear, head of AI research and development at BlogBuster, said AI can make rooms look larger, hide damage, and make upgrades appear to exist when they don't.

Daniel Amodeo, president of Amo Realty, noted that legitimate MLS listings are not supposed to materially misrepresent a property, and many multiple listing services have tightened rules around digitally altered photos. Still, buyers need to pay attention to what they're actually seeing.

Look for signs that something isn't right

Some AI-generated images can be surprisingly difficult to identify, but experts say there are clues.

Twilligear recommends looking for inconsistent windows, warped railings, repeated textures, impossible reflections and landscaping that looks unusually perfect.

Sherif Higazy, founder and CEO of Megaton AI, suggests checking whether furniture has the correct number of legs and whether it is arranged logically.

Field says buyers should also pay attention to architectural details. In manipulated images, straight lines such as baseboards, window trim, and door frames may appear warped or disappear altogether.

Unusual lighting can be another clue. Field says buyers should watch for shadows that don't match the apparent light sources, as well as landscaping that doesn't make sense for the season.

Don't rely on photos alone

If you're interested in a property, experts recommend verifying as much information as possible before making an offer.

Matt Brown, a broker associate at William Raveis Real Estate, suggests checking the home's listed square footage against county records. Photos can be posed for or edited, but the measurements in county records cannot, he said.

Buyers can also compare listing photos with satellite or Street View imagery to see whether the home's exterior matches what appears online.

And if you can't visit the property yourself, don't settle for a polished virtual tour. Twilligear recommends requesting a live video walkthrough, ideally with a real estate agent who can move through the home and show you the property in real time.

Be especially careful before sending money

AI-altered photos aren't necessarily a scam, but they can become much more concerning when combined with other red flags.

Higazy said consumers should be particularly wary when synthetic images appear alongside scam indicators such as requests for cash or upfront payments. Amodeo also noted that scammers can steal legitimate listings, alter them, and repost them online, making fraudulent listings more convincing.

Field recommends requesting unprocessed photos and videos when possible and making sure an inspection contingency is included in the purchase contract.

Ultimately, a beautiful listing photo is just that a photo. Before committing hundreds of thousands of dollars to a home, buyers should verify that the property they are buying actually exists in the condition they've been promised.

As Twilligear put it, if a seller or agent won't provide a live video walkthrough, report the listing and walk away.