{
  "id": 15184433,
  "title": "Buying masks or haze-related items on the secondary market? Be careful, says CASE",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/buying-masks-or-haze-related-items-on-the-secondary-market-be-careful",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-17T11:13:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/buying-masks-or-haze-related-items-on-the-secondary-market-be-careful-says-case"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore's consumer watchdog, CASE, has warned consumers to exercise caution when purchasing masks and air purifiers from the secondary market, particularly through social media platforms, as sellers on these platforms may not be verifiable. The advisory was shared on Facebook by CASE president Melvin Yong on October 17, as some retailers face temporary shortages of N95 masks and air purifiers due to the worsening haze situation in Singapore. Despite this, major retailers have sufficient stock and are actively replenishing supplies at affected outlets to meet consumer demand. Yong advised consumers to avoid overbuying masks in large quantities once stocks resume. He also cautioned against purchasing items online from dubious deals, as they could be scams, and encouraged consumers to use the Price Kaki platform to monitor and compare prices of haze-related products from different retailers. Local retailers have seen increased demand for masks and air purifiers, with some capping purchases to manage the surge in demand. Singapore's air quality has been poor since October 5, with the country enduring its longest continuous stretch of poor air quality since the 2015 haze crisis.",
  "summary": "Some retailers are facing a temporary shortage of N95 masks.",
  "key_points": [
    "CASE warns against secondary market purchases of masks and air purifiers.",
    "Consumers advised to verify sellers and avoid overbuying.",
    "Price Kaki platform recommended for price comparison."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Consumers urged not to overbuy N95 masks; major retailers are 'actively replenishing' stocks: CASE",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/consumers-urged-not-to-overbuy-n95-masks-major-retailers-are-actively",
        "published": "2026-10-17T11:45:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}