Sorry to read about your experience Christopher, but you're certainly not the first and certainly won't be the last. Sometimes you just have to walk the path for yourself to find what's at the other end, no matter what anyone else says.
About the only thing I would add to your warning is that it's not 95% being scams. If it's mainland China, then you're throwing your cash away on anything with the Apple brand on it from a supplier.... 100% guaranteed!