The counterfeiting epidemic continues to spread, and virtually no product category is immune. Broken, a new Netflix docuseries highlights how prevalent “negligence and deceit are in the production and marketing of popular consumer items.” The counterfeiting crisis is especially problematic in the cosmetics industry, where “it’s like the wild, wild west online.”

The episode laments the rampant counterfeiting of cosmetics products, and warns consumers about the inherent risks—including cosmetics that have tested positive for the presence of carcinogens and heavy metals and bacteria caused by unsanitary production, among other things.

It also explores how the business of counterfeiting cosmetics became so lucrative. For the last several years, social media has provided a platform for consumers (colloquially referenced as influencers) to share makeup tips, tricks, and recommendations. This phenomenon has helped to spur the rise of niche makeup companies, whose products target specific audiences, sell out quickly, and are primarily sold online. The boom in the makeup industry, coupled with the ability to buy and sell cosmetics on online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, has created the perfect storm for counterfeiters. Counterfeiters can produce cosmetics cheaply and sell them for a steep profit because demand for the products is so high. By selling online, they can also do so anonymously.

As a result, consumers desperate to buy popular products often unknowingly buy counterfeit versions at a discounted price, assuming that they are purchasing legitimate products from Amazon and not from a third-party seller. Consumers buying online obviously have no ability to inspect the products for signs of counterfeiting, like differences in packaging, smell, consistency, and color.