07/04/2026
It has been brought to our attention that many pond owners, including our customers, have been falling victim to scam advertisements involving algae removal products. I've attached an example of one of these scams, and want to go over a few things to look out for to ensure you don't get tricked!
If it's too good to be true: IT IS! Often these products will boast impossible turnaround times with no considerations, just use it and it's done in seconds. Like all good things, clearing up the pond is always going to take time and precision when applying doses of product.
AI voice over and visuals: As technology gets better, these are getting harder to spot, but the example video does not have a real narrator, and several of the visuals contain AI generated content, or before/after images stolen from other pages. Listen for flat speech with sharp, seemingly out of nowhere shifts in tone to sniff out AI narration, and keep your eyes peeled for smooth, waxy looking visuals, or objects appearing, changing and vanishing as something moves, as these are telltale signs of AI generated media.
Pay attention to branding: most of these products are produced fast and cheap, labeled and branded with random brand names that only exist for the purpose of the scam. If you don't recognize a brand, always research it, and if they have NO other products, no results come up, or the company produces a wide and unrelated range of products (for example, algae remover and toothpaste), that's a red flag.
We don't mean to scare you or deter you from shopping online, always do what is best for you and your pond. Please do your best to be safe out there, and if you're uncertain about whether or not a product or ad is real, ask an expert first!
