Don’t be fooled by copycat brands! It’s great that so many people are taking an interest in wildlife conservation, whether it is the destruction of ecosystems, poaching, or any other issue. Unfortunately, there are many out there who would take advantage of those generous enough to spend money on a cause. They set up a seemingly legitimate charity or business that claims to help charities in an attempt to enrich themselves.
A recent NBC story put a spotlight on unethical scam brands and made sure to tell customers that they should come to Fahlo if they are interested in buying from one that actually partners with wildlife conservation organizations. There are so many animals that need our help, and buying from a company that donates money to a conservancy is a great way to support the cause. You just need to make sure you’re buying from a company that actually does donate.
Don’t Fall for Scams
NBC highlighted an issue affecting our partner, Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC), in particular. As the world’s oldest research group for sea turtle conservation, scammers are attempting to borrow their reputation in a scheme to generate profits. These scam companies go under names like Wildlife Team, Wildlife Mission and Turtle’s Journey. They advertise jewelry on Facebook and other platforms and they claim to support or be in partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Only Fahlo has a real partnership with Sea Turtle Conservancy for turtle tracking.
Scammers sell the jewelry and tell consumers that they donate part of the profits to the STC. Along with that, they illegally use the STC’s turtle tracking data to offer perks to the customers they are scamming. They tell the customer that every item comes with a turtle that can be tracked. However, STC never gave these companies permission to use tracking data. Fahlo is the only company that has been granted full permission by STC to use their data collection.
Since these illegal brands often make claims and use the branding of the Sea Turtle Conservancy, it gives them the appearance of being a legitimate partner to many consumers. This causes an additional issue for the STC because not only are they taking money that could be going to legitimate partners, they are also harming the reputation of an organization that does real good in the world.
Make Sure You Buy From a Legitimate Partner
If you want to help sea turtles, you need to buy from a legitimate partner company. As NBC confirms, Fahlo is the only partner of the STC. We sell bracelets and we really donate a portion of the profits to the STC. Along with that, each bracelet comes with a turtle you can track and we have permission to use the tracking data for this purpose.Â
Beyond partnering with the STC, we work with a range of conservation organizations. We sell products that support Save the Elephants, Polar Bears International and the Orca Research Trust. With our products, you can be sure that you are helping to save wildlife with every dollar you spend.
It makes us sad to see that people would try to take advantage of the good nature and generosity of those who would contribute to these causes. However, NBC is raising awareness of the issue. As a tip to consumers, any time you see an ad or solicitation from a business claiming to partner with a wildlife organization, go to the website of the organization to check out their partnerships. If you don’t see the company from the ad listed, they probably are not a legitimate partner. Additionally, you can research scams on scam-detector.com.