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Investigating fake degrees: CBC's Marketplace consumer cheat sheet

Miss something this week? Here's the consumer news you need to know.

Plus: The problem with Facebook freebies and Apple's AR offering

To see what it takes to get a fake degree, Marketplace purchased its own PhD in biblical counselling from Almeda University. (CBC)

Miss something this week? Here's the consumer news you need to know from CBC'sMarketplace. Get this in your inbox every Friday.Sign up here.

Hundreds of Canadians have phoney degrees

For our season premiere,we investigated the world's largest diploma milland found 800 Canadians who may have fake degrees, includingthis Toronto lawyer,this City of Regina deputy clerk,andthisToronto business management consultant.

Beware of Facebook freebies

If you're a frequent Facebook user you know all about those "free" ads that pop up on your timeline postings that offer two free Air Canada tickets, a $100 Ikea gift certificate or free pizzas, to mention just a few.

The problem is, they're not real. Andjust clicking on the fake offers can cause your account to be shut down or infect your device with a virus or worm.

AR is about to go mainstream

Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, introduces the iPhone x during a launch event in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 12, 2017. (Stephen Lam/Reuters)
If you didn't catch Apple's announcement yesterday, here's one quick takeaway: augmented reality where digital information is layered on top of what we normally see is getting both better and more accessible.

Apple's new iPhones have upgrades to their cameras and motion sensors built for AR.Look for serious contributions from other tech giants coming soon.

Bras and the law

Genevive Loiselle feels more comfortable not wearing a bra and believes every woman has the right to choose if she wants to wear one. (Genevive Loiselle)
Last year,Marketplace investigated sexist restaurant dress codes. Now, a waitress at East Side Mario's claims a female managerunfairly demanded she wear a bra at work.

She says she was told bras are a part of the dress code, which may be against human rights law. The restaurant's head office says they're looking into what happened.

Your OJ may get pricier

Florida's orange groves have been heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma. (Associated Press)
Get ready to be squeezed a little more for your orange juice.Hurricane Irma dealt Florida's iconic orange crop a devastating blow, destroying nearly all the fruit in some Southwest Florida groves and seriously damaging groves in Central Florida. Much of the fruit was young, and it's too late in the season to grow a new crop.

What else is going on?

The U.S. FDA is warning about problems with the plant that makes EpiPen.Tens of thousands of EpiPens were recalled worldwide in March aftertwo reports of the life-saving shot failing to work in emergencies.

It may be over for over-the-counter codeine.Health Canada wants tomake products that contain codeine available only with a prescription.

Security alert:Canoe, a news and entertainment website, sayspersonal information of about one million of its users from 1996 to 2008 was hacked.

This week in recalls:

Tween makeup products:The company's shimmer powder contains trace amounts of asbestos; the manufacturer's other products are being recalled as a cautionary measure.

Oral moisturizer: More than 120 million units of the affected products were distributed to health care facilities, pharmacies and medical supply stores across Canada. They have been recalled over possible contamination.

Moonrays Large Mystic Globe and Winter Framed Snowglobe lights:These lights may singe or melt items that are either in contact with or near them. And the liquid in the globes could leak, causing staining.

Fake Degrees: Exposing Canadians with phoney credentials

It's a back-to-school special like you've never seen before. In our season premiere, Marketplaceexposes the big business of fake degrees. Watchon TVoronline.