Coronavirus Fears in Morocco Spark Mask Price Gouging on Social Media

Faced with the stock shortage at pharmacies and the increase in demand, masks are selling like hotcakes on social networks, at exorbitant prices. And as the fear of the virus makes the sale of medical masks a lucrative sector due to speculation and high demand, everyone wants to engage in this new trade.

On Facebook, about twenty posts are circulated every day to sell or buy masks. Many countries are experiencing the same situation as Morocco and are facing the dictatorship of scammers who take advantage of the spread of the epidemic to make money.

To deal with this surge and counter the activity on the internet, Amazon has been hunting down products with misleading ads, or sold at exorbitant prices, since the beginning of the epidemic. One million products have thus been removed from the site.

Being well informed remains the best solution to avoid falling into the trap of psychosis. The rush on masks will not protect against the virus, say the specialists who add that it is important to "understand that simple surgical masks, or medical masks, practically do not prevent contracting Covid-19. A person affected, on the other hand, will protect their entourage a little by wearing it".