The Search for Aurora Borealis: How to See the Northern Lights in Chicagoland

Lake Michigan, October 7, 2024 (KP - 5.67)

In the Beginning

I’ve wanted to experience Aurora Borealis for as long as I can remember. As a kid it seemed impossible, because at the time it was only visible in faraway places. I put it on my bucket list all same, and got a bit more proactive when I read places like northern MI, WI and MN would see an uptick in sightings through 2024 and into 2025.

We spent our last two family vacations chasing the lights in those states to no avail. But then, by some gift-from-the-universe miracle, they started making appearances even further south, with the greater Chicago area often “making the cut” on maps used to forecast Aurora’s nightly reach. I wound up seeing them for the first time less than a mile from my home in May. And then this past week: I saw them twice. But these sightings were by no means sheer luck. They took time, effort and – this one is especially important – patience.

Lake Michigan, May 11, 2024

I recall when they first appeared here in May, the lakefront was packed with like-minded souls on a quest to see the elusive lights. But this past week, I was the lone person at the lake, soaking in this magnificence all by my lonesome. At first I wondered if that sighting back in May had been sufficient to quell the area’s collective appetite for the lights. But then, after talking to a handful of folks, I realized most actually hadn’t seen them yet. There was a desire to but an uncertainty about how to do it, where to go, and what to expect.

I am by no means an astronomer or a meteorologist, so take this advice with a grain of technicolor salt. Suffice it to say I’ve been stalking aurora since early 2023; I’ve actively gone out in search of it on 9 occasions and only seen them on 4. But those 5 failures and 4 successes taught me a lot, and I’m happy to share in hopes of spreading the awe.

TLDR;

I go into detail on all of these below, but if you need a quick and easy guide, here you go:

  1. Pay attention to the news and monitor KP numbers.

  2. Anything over a KP of 5 can pop up in the Chicago area if conditions are just right (but the higher the KP, the better).

  3. You need a dark, clear sky. Avoid light pollution and cloudy weather. For those in the Chicago area, this means either heading to the lake, a forest preserve with open spaces, or a nearby rural community.

  4. Make sure you’re looking to the north/northeast, at and above the horizon.

  5. It’s very unlikely you’ll see — with an unaided eye — the vibrant colors we’ve all come to recognize in photos. Instead, look for grayish white hues that don’t look like clouds and possibly (but not necessarily) have noticeable movement.

  6. When it doubt, hold up your smart phone or camera; if the lights are there, the colors will pop through a newer smartphone or camera.

  7. Be patient. Conditions need to be JUST RIGHT for the Northern Lights to make a grand entrance, and they don’t always last for long (anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour). I recommend waiting a good 1-3 hours while also monitoring KP numbers.

  8. Be persistent. You might need to go out a few times before you have any luck.

  9. Bring the comforts of home (e.g. chairs, picnic blankets, layers to stay warm, friends/family, etc.); this makes it easier to abide by tip #7.

  10. Embrace the experience, no matter the outcome.

Temper Your Expectations

Aurora is only faintly visible here (KP - 5.33)

  • It is very unlikely you’ll see Aurora Borealis in full color without the aid of a newer camera / smartphone. This is because we’re in northern Illinois, not the arctic tundra, though I’ve read some Aurora chasers in Finland say that even there you sometimes need a camera to see all the colors.

  • It would take a very powerful storm for the full colors to be visible here without the aid of a technological device. Such a storm IS possible, but the ones we’ve been getting here require a little extra help to be fully appreciated.

  • Thankfully, many of us have all the tech we need to see the full color display in our pockets (and if you know what to look for, you CAN see the lights without the camera – the camera just helps bring out the colors we’re all expecting to see).

  • Unfortunately, seeing the full colors won’t come easy with older smartphones. My 5-year-old, 3-lens iPhone picks up the lights; my husband’s single-lens, 6-year-old iPhone doesn’t.

  • If you have an older phone that doesn’t offer night mode and/or manual controls, research camera apps that might give you that ability. There are some out there, but I haven’t tested any and so cannot vouch for them.

Research, Research, Research

Pay attention to the news but don’t rely solely on the news. If they say aurora is likely to be visible near you anytime soon, perk up and start actively monitoring the other resources I link to below. But you might also want to casually stroll through those other resources from time to time; sometimes the peaks don’t make the news.

3-Day Forecast (Link)
I use this site just to have some idea of how things are looking for the next three days. If it says the “High Latitude 3-Day Aurora Forecast” will be 7 or above, I take note. If it’s an 8 or above, I start to seriously consider re-arranging my evening plans for the day. If it’s a 9, as it was this past weekend, I absolutely do.

2-Day Forecast, With Map (Link)
Anything within the thin red line on this page is within the range of possibility. I normally use this to gauge whether or not it’s worth going out, but I have to say: This isn’t an exact science. None of it is. I mean, it’s science. Yes. But there are so many factors that determine whether or not aurora will be visible – and where, and when – that it’s important to know that sometimes we’ll be above the red line and might not see a thing. Others, we’ll be below it but might still see something. This is where monitoring KP numbers in real-time comes into play.

Real-Time Prediction (Link)

  • This website updates every 2 minutes and shows the forecast up to 14 minutes out.

  • The bigger the KP number, the better our odds of seeing some lights in the Chicago area.

  • According to the site’s own map, northern Illinois will only see lights if the KP number is a 7 or above. But I’m here to say: I’ve seen the lights 3 times, and each time the KP number was in the 5-6 range.

  • If I see the KP become a 5.33 or above, and the weather is clear and my schedule is free, I head out to try to see them.

Local Weather

It doesn’t matter what’s happening with the sun and the resultant magnetic storms if it’s rainy, cloudy, foggy or stormy where you live. You need a mostly clear sky to have any chance of seeing Aurora Borealis.

Find a Dark Corner Near You

  • Whether you head to the lake or a rural area will depend on where in the Chicago area you live and what’s easiest/closest/safest.

  • Think of the darkest place you can go that has an open view of the northern sky and head there.

  • Thus far all of my sightings have been on the lakefront on a particularly dark beach, where I had a view of the horizon (apparently lower KPs are generally most visible along the horizon, rather than high up in the sky).

Timing is Everything

Technically the KP number is everything, but it’s important to note you’re unlikely to see the lights until a little after the sun has fully set. I keep reading things that say Aurora Borealis is most active from 12-2a, but I’ve seen them at 9p, 9:30p and 11ish.

Bring a Friend (or Two)

This kind of experience is better when shared. But even more than that: Hanging out in expansive, dark spaces can be kind of unsettling, particularly if you’re the only person there – as I was the last two times – and another lone stranger approaches.

Make Yourself Comfortable

How long you’ll be out will depend on how patient you can be (and how shy the aurora is that night). If you’ll be out for more than a few minutes, you might as well bring a few comforts from home and make a night of it. I recommend packing the following:

  • Fully charged, newer camera and/or camera phone (this is required if you want to see the full colors)

  • Lawn chairs and/or a picnic blanket

  • Flashlight (but don’t use it unless you must)

  • Water

  • Snacks

  • Wireless charger for said phone

  • Bug spray (depending on the season)

  • A hat, jacket/coat and/or gloves (depending on the season)

Know What to Look For (And Bring Your Camera)

As mentioned earlier, it’s unlikely (but not impossible) you’ll be able to see the lights in all their glory with your naked eye in the Chicago area. So what exactly are you looking for?

The rosy hues here appeared as unusual color blocks that were barely visible to the unaided eye (KP - 5.33)

  • Make sure you’re looking to the north (on the horizon or above), but note that if you’re along the lake you’ll see a bit of them over the lake, too.

  • Be on the lookout for a grayish white presence or any other changes in the sky’s “natural” hue. These can be super subtle and easy to miss. You might notice them moving in an unexpected way (but they also might move so slowly that you don’t notice).

  • For one of my experiences, my clue that something was happening was that the darkest parts of the sky seemed to have somehow gotten even darker (with the deepest of purples just barely evident over the horizon). When I held up my camera, that darkness turned into a brilliant fuchsia.

  • For my other two experiences, I could actually see the lights appear and move, swirling about in some places and staying seemingly still in others – they just weren’t in full color. Much of the lights were a greyish white to the naked eye, but there were other shades too. I just couldn’t make them out until I held up my camera and let out a sigh. IT’S SO PRETTY, Y’ALL.

Patience is a Virtue

As I said, I’ve actively sought out the lights on 9 occasions and only seen them on 4. Each trip was 1-3 hours and involved lots of waiting, observing, monitoring the KP numbers and – yes – holding up my camera to fact check my eyes.

Prepare to Be Disappointed

Lake Michigan, Oct. 7, 2024 (KP - 5.67)

I’ve been out when the KP number was a 7 – which is supposed to be a sure thing on a clear night for this area – but I saw nothing. I’ve seen an 8.33 be super faint (because the bulk of the particles were pushed further east). I’ve seen them appear and disappear in under 5 minutes (though on 3 occasions, they were visible for 10-30 minutes). Point being, some nights they’re there when the odds are low, and not there when the odds are high. You might go out and not see a single thing. Or you might wait an hour and see everything. That’s part of what makes these lights – and the experience of seeing them – so darn special.

In Sum

Discovering these displays of celestial magic can be a bit of a time commitment, so make the most of it. Go some place where you’ll be happy to just sit and observe and commune with the universe – and whichever friends or family you take with you – for a while.

You might not see it on the first try. It might take a few hours, or you might need to pack up and try again some other day.

But trust me when I say it’s worth the effort.

"Good Health" Makes a Bad Decision

The front of the old bag (Mickey, left) compared to the new bag (Monster, right). Click to enlarge.

If you, like me, are always looking for ways to sneak vegetable-like substances into your picky-eater’s diet, please note this massive bait and switch from “Good Health” with their “Veggie Chips.”

SOME VEGETABLES AND ALL VITAMINS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND A CANCER WARNING HAS BEEN ADDED 

I repeat.  

SOME VEGETABLES AND ALL VITAMINS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND A CANCER WARNING HAS BEEN ADDED 

And yes: I know. Dehydrated vegetables are no substitute for fresh ones. But the struggle to get my kid to the fresh variety is very real, y’all. So whenever we opted for a processed food for snack time, we turned to things like Good Health Veggie Chips because their nutritional profile blew away the competition. They were loaded with actual dehydrated vegetables and herbs; and since throwing a bunch of vegetable powder into a processed snack doesn’t pack the nutritional wallop of eating fresh veggies, they previously added a host of vitamins to help mimic the impact. In fact: their previous formula included nine types of dehydrated vegetables and herbs (I’m not counting “dehydrated potato” in that number for obvious nutritional deficits) and six different vitamins.  

So when I saw they were marketing a new monster-shaped chip just in time for Halloween but didn’t shout “new recipe!” on their packaging, I wrongly assumed the fun shape was the only thing that was different. We were running low and I was looking for “healthy” Halloween-themed treats for my lone trick-and-treater, so I eagerly threw them into my cart without a second thought.  

The back of the old bag (left) compared to the new bag (right). Click to enlarge.

Until I got them home, that is, and I realized the word “veggie” was suspiciously missing from the small-type description in the lower left-hand corner of the bag. So I flipped the bag over and realized the “ingredient” list was significantly shorter on the new packaging. Normally I’m all for processed foods having as few ingredients as possible, but not when the ingredients are a variety of vegetables and vitamins. So I looked more closely and was pretty appalled.  

The new formula has three fewer dehydrated vegetables/herbs (I’m giving them a pass on the missing “dehydrated garlic,” as the new formula replaces it with “garlic powder”). It’s missing beets, carrots and broccoli and ALL SIX ADDED VITAMINS.  

They’ve also added a few things, including 62% more fat, rice flour, potassium chloride, potassium citrate and citric acid. And last and certainly not least: a cancer warning. Yes, that’s right: a cancer warning.  

There’s a lot to unpack here, and I will admit now: although I primarily write in the healthcare space and am no stranger to related research, I’m not a doctor, scientist or nutritionist. But when I see the presence of more fat AND a cancer warning tied to acrylamide – a chemical that can form in some foods due to high-temperature cooking – I can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection. The presence of more oil/fat leads me to believe the new formula is being fried at a higher temperature (and thereby introducing an unsafe chemical into the finished product). 

It’s worth noting that many potato chips and fries (and even some coffee) are required by the state of California to include an acrylamide warning due to high cooking temperatures. But it’s also worth noting that the previous formula didn’t require such a warning, and the need to include one now, to me, is an enormous contradiction to the brand name: Good Health.  

As for the potassium chloride and potassium citrate: these are sometimes used as salt substitutes and to regulate acidity, respectively, and aren’t necessarily alarming. But this formula also still includes “salt” and the exact same amount of sodium as the previous recipe, which leads me to believe they felt the flavor was lacking and wanted to add more “salt-like quality” without increasing sodium levels. This results in a negligible amount of potassium (2% of the RDA) appearing in each serving, which can be a good thing. But with the appearance of potassium in the new formula comes a reduction in the amount of iron from 2% to zilch. So in a way, it’s a wash.

In any event, it seems these additions are intended to make up for what the new formula was otherwise lacking. We haven’t tasted them yet – in fact, we plan on returning them – but after I realized these chips were markedly different from the originals, I took a peek at online reviews and noticed a remarkable decline in ratings between the old and new formula. Seven months ago, every Target reviewer gave Good Health Veggie Chips 5 out of 5 stars. But starting about three months ago – presumably about the time these were introduced – the ratings dropped. 50% of all ratings since then have been 1 out of 5 stars, with one reviewer calling them “oily and gross” in comparison to the prior version. Multiple reviewers comment on the texture, with one noting: “The [previous formula] felt more like baked chips, while these monster ones are more air-y and feel like they're fried.”

If this reviewer is correct about the change in cooking method, that would certainly explain the addition of a cancer warning. I plan on reaching out to the company to confirm and will update this story once I know more, but given the timing of the new chips’ release, I didn’t want to delay sending this alert out to regular buyers.

My hope here is that these monster chips – as difficult as their cuteness is to resist in the days leading up to Halloween – are a temporary thing. That once Halloween passes, they’ll go not just with a different design, but also return to their original formula. But whether this is a short-or-long-term recipe, the fact remains: to market them as the same chip is deceptive at best.

If this is a long-term switch, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a cost-saving measure. But I think Good Health might find their sales negatively impacted by this move, with the previous formula’s nutritional value having been the reason many of us chose them over other brands. For me, this deceptive switch has significantly damaged their brand, and I suspect it will have a lasting impact on their sales. In which case: saving up-front now might cost them in the long run.

On Caroll Spinney's Passing

Caroll Spinney with Big Bird, his largest creation. AP

Caroll Spinney with Big Bird, his largest creation.
AP

One of my earliest memories as a child is being sucked through a clear plastic tube – a la those pneumatic tubes that bank drive-ups use – and zipped through a hospital, naked and exposed for all of the world to see while I screamed at the top of my lungs for someone to let me out.

Scratch that. One of my earliest NIGHTMARES as a child – one that continued to haunt me well into adulthood – was the result of being alone in a children’s hospital, my parents unable to be there all day, every day, with solo trips to CT scans and MRI machines leaving me with a lifelong fear of confined spaces and surly nurses.

It was a scary time for me, and it left a deep mark I still can’t entirely shake.

But there was one bright light. It was yellow, covered in soft feathers, and gifted to me by my big brother, who was visibly holding back tears as he gave it to me to keep me safe at the hospital.

It was a Big Bird doll in honor of my favorite Sesame Street character (the fact that he became my hospital buddy made me love him all the more). I have vague recollections of talking to him, and him to me, my little brain processing all the lessons I’d learned from the show and applying them to my new, terrifying world.

I remember, too, when my family moved a few years later, and that doll was somehow lost in the shuffle. Whether my parents donated him or tossed him and thought I wouldn’t notice or we just never unpacked that box, I don’t know, but I remember feeling so sad, so alone, when I couldn’t find him.

I felt a little like that today when I heard about Caroll Spinney’s passing. It’s so strange how the death of a celebrity – of someone we’ve never met but feel like we know – hits us in the gut. And though I’m sure Big Bird will continue to live on, this is the end of an era. Time is passing. Lives are passing.

And I find myself wishing, perhaps now more than ever, that I had something – anything – to bring me that same level of solace I once found in a tiny Big Bird doll.

 

 

Mis-Lead: Toxic Metal Continues to Find Its Way into Children's Products

Nothing says “sweet dreams” quite like a lead-laced sleeping bag.

Nothing says “sweet dreams” quite like a lead-laced sleeping bag.

One of the most upsetting things for me, as a first-time parent, was realizing my daughter’s first-ever sippy/straw cup contained lead paint. I’d spent HOURS looking for the perfect cup — one that stored her drink in glass (because of all the gross chemicals that leach into water from plastic); had a silicone straw (for the same reason); and yet was encased to prevent breaking if thrown or dropped. So when I discovered a cup from a “green” company that ticked all of those boxes, I felt like I’d hiked to the top of a parenting Everest. 

That bubble burst in a (not-so) glorious fashion a few months later when a friend sent me an article that confirmed the unthinkable: the demarcations on the glass portion of said sippy cup were done with lead paint. And the silicone straw? It contained cadmium. 

I was livid. Frustrated. Upset. How was this even possible? Isn’t lead paint — particularly for items INFANTS will come into contact with — banned? Would there be a recall? Was the company — which sold and continues to sell many of its products at Whole Foods — going to issue a massive apology, be completely ashamed, and explain away the matter as a manufacturing error? 

The answers astounded me: there would be no recall. Having lead paint on a surface infants and toddlers drink from is somehow still legal (there are certain restrictions, but they’re a joke, particularly when you consider the amount of lead that is safe for babies and toddlers is ZERO). 

Worse yet, even though the company (Green Sprouts) offered to replace the glasses with “paint free” ones for free, there was no real apology (and certainly not a recall). Rather, they explained it away as “within legal limits.” And I say again: NO AMOUNT OF LEAD IS “SAFE” FOR ANYONE, LEAST OF ALL SMALL CHILDREN. Even small amounts of lead exposure, particularly for infants and toddlers, can cause intellectual disabilities, brain damage, kidney failure and possibly death. 

Lead paint should have gone the way of dinosaurs, blast into extinction by the meteor of public awareness. But instead: it persists — presumably because it’s dirt cheap — and even companies with “green” in their name and mission continue to use it with reckless abandon.

Skip ahead two years. I’m at Walmart looking for a camping chair for my daughter when I stumble upon this adorable rocket ship sleeping bag from Ozark Trail (Walmart’s own line of outdoor gear). It feels soft, like cotton, and since my daughter is currently obsessed with all things pertaining to space, it seemed like the perfect purchase. I was trying to figure out what the lining was made out of when I instead found a tag indicating the sleeping bag (for some inexplicable reason) contains lead and “can be harmful if chewed.”

All of the anger I felt two years ago came flooding back. Like many three-year olds, my daughter still puts WAAAYYY too many things in her mouth, and the odds of her eventually suckling on her sleeping bag are pretty high. So while on one hand I’m grateful they at least had the wherewithal/legal foresight to mark the bag with this disclaimer — our sippy cup manufacturer gave no such notice — I’m still beyond upset that lead is still widely used in consumer goods, particularly those made for children. 

This. Is. Not. O. K. 

So how do we make it stop? We could storm the legal bodies that set the limits (namely the CPSC, in the case of consumer goods), but no one really seems to listen to anyone unless money is exchanging hands. And let’s be honest: whether out of necessity or simply the desire to save, the vast majority of consumers are more likely to roll the dice on a cheaper product, rather than invest in a more expensive item that has been rigorously tested and certified to not contain harmful materials. Such products do exist in some consumer categories, but they are cost-prohibitive for many families (infuriating when you consider lead shouldn’t be allowed in any products regardless of price tag, and no companies should allow it under the flag of “well, it meets [lackluster] government regulations”) .

So what is a consumer to do?

For starters, look closely at product labels. If it has a “contains lead” warning, don’t buy it. If it includes a warning about how it doesn’t meet safety requirements for the state of California — the state with the strictest regulations — don’t buy it. Companies make merchandising decisions based on sales. If we keep buying it, they’ll keep making it. If we don’t buy it, they’ll eventually stop. It’s economics 101.

And if you buy something with no such warning label that is later determined to contain anything unsafe: raise a stink. Call them. Write them. Demand they do better, and stop buying them until they do. 

Because contrary to many idioms, “love” isn’t the universal language — money is. And until we start speaking with our wallets, products containing lead and other harmful materials will continue to find their onto store shelves.

New phishing scam goes unchecked by Facebook

UPDATE (9/2/2019): After a brief slowdown in these ads following our story’s publication, they are back in full force as of August 31, 2019. All of the below warnings remain (unfortunately) relevant.

A not-so-new scam on Facebook has many users forking over their personal information – including credit card numbers – in exchange for too-good-to-be-true deals on Keen shoes.

Some users who have attempted to place an order noted they received a “timed out” screen when finalizing their order, while others had their orders appear to go through (though they received no confirmation emails). In both cases, shoes never arrived at their doorstep — but their name, address, phone number and credit card information were unwittingly handed over to online hucksters.

The ads first began appearing on Facebook and Instagram April 15, if not sooner, and a large handful of unlucky users have had their newsfeeds overrun by these scam ads. Although each ad appears to come from a different (fake) company, they all share a few common features: they have a similar layout, and they boast highly discounted Keen shoes, free shipping and fast delivery. Most of the ads come from bogus accounts clearly created for the purposes of the ad – they have no posts, followers or profile pics – though a few appear to be hacked accounts from legitimate (but potentially defunct) businesses. They all claim to be from authorized Keen retailers, but as Keen has told concerned consumers on Twitter: “This is not a KEEN official site or authorized retailer.”

As a lover of Keen shoes, I admit the first time this ad appeared in my feed, I considered clicking the “Shop Now” link. But something just didn’t feel right. So instead, I took a peek at the comments, which were flooded with words like “Scam!”; “Don’t click!”; “Report this ad”; “Don’t buy!” and even “They stole my credit card information.”

(This is just a small sampling; many of the comments also had some pretty unkind words for Facebook.)

So I reported that first – and presumably last – ad as “misleading or scam” and went about my day, thinking the unpleasant experience was behind me. But instead: the ads kept coming. And coming. The faster I reported them, the faster they arrived until it got to the point where 80% of the ads in my newsfeed were scam ads for Keen footwear. A quick scroll in my newsfeed today – at least 11 days after reports of the fake ads first appeared on social media – and nearly 1 in 5 posts in my newsfeed was a fake Keen ad. And even worse: I accidentally clicked “Shop Now” once when scrolling.

(I closed my browser immediately, deleted my history and cookies and then restarted my phone, but who knows what villainy now lurks on my device.)

It’s enough to make a person want to abandon the platform altogether, which makes me wonder: is it possible THAT – and not the credit card thievery – is the scammer’s true objective? It’s also possible this is a consumer advocate group placing the ads merely to demonstrate a very large kink in Facebook’s scam-detecting armor, though all signs at present indicate a malicious scam with no end in sight. And let’s not forget how reporting the ads seems to make more ads appear in one’s feed: clearly something is awry with Facebook’s algorithms.

This DM from KEEN to a concerned consumer was more than a week old by the time this story was published.

For their part, Keen has been turning the sites over to their legal team, though it seems clear they have nothing to do with the ads, and the responsibility of having them removed from Facebook should rest squarely on Facebook’s shoulders.

Any yet: more than 11 days have passed, and the fake ads continue. In some cases, Facebook tells me they’ve removed the ads. But for most, their response is far more unsettling: thanks for reporting, but we’re keeping the ad up for now. As someone who has paid for ads on Facebook before, I know they claim to have an ad review process. I create an ad, I submit it to them, and between a few minutes to a couple hours later, the ad gets approved and is posted. Which makes me wonder: what is their ad review process, and why isn’t it catching these blatantly fake ads?

A representative for Facebook didn’t respond to questions concerning this specific scam but says their ad review process “relies primarily on automated tools.” They check to see if the ad violates any of their Advertising Policies, and they reject the ad if it does. These “automated tools” are reviewing the ad’s text, images and related landing pages for violations before it goes live, and if an ad gets reported, it gets kicked back into the system for another review. It’s unclear if/when human eyes ever enter into the process, because the majority of the comments on these ads indicate the lion’s share of human eyes can see the scam. But sadly: that isn’t the case for all users, and some have clearly fallen victim to the fake ads.

“While we continuously evolve our tools and improve enforcement,” explains Facebook, “Bad actors continue to find ways to game the system. This is why we also encourage people to report this kind of behavior.”

But if reporting a single ad that’s part of a larger scam doesn’t help Facebook see the big picture – even if you feel like you’re painting the picture for them by reporting similar ads over and over – reporting can feel like a Sisyphean task. Since Facebook appears to be addressing the fake ads one-by-one using an automated system, rather than stepping back and noticing a larger scheme at play, this scam will continue to go unchecked if they don’t reconsider their approach, revise their algorithms and hire a few more humans to review suspicious ads and detect trends.

In any event, purchasing solely from authorized retailers and reporting the fake ones appears to be our only recourse at the moment. Well, that, and writing a story about it and hoping – just hoping – that it will eventually make its way to someone who can actually make a difference.

NOTE: The below fake ads are a small sampling of what’s made the rounds on Facebook. As of 4/27/19, the scammers appear to be switching up their game and marketing Skechers — instead of Keen — in their ploy. They also now occasionally make it appear as though the ad links to REI.com. Regardless of whatever brand (or product type) is featured in the ad, proceed with a dose of skepticism, and don’t divulge any personal information (including credit card number) until you’re 100% certain the company is legitimate. There are plenty of real ads on Facebook too, so if you’re unsure, check with the manufacturer. Or as my study hall supervisor used to say: “When in doubt: DON’T.”

If it’s too late and you fear you’ve already fallen victim to this or another phishing scam, the Federal Trade Commission recommends you take these next steps.