Empty shelves in the baby formula aisle of a store in Pinole, California, US, on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning parents that baby formula scams could be on the rise as the national formula shortage receives mainstream attention.
Hypervigilance is recommended when searching for formulas online, the marketplace watchdog’s latest news release suggests.
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“Online shopping scams are the riskiest,” the BBB wrote on Thursday, May 12. “With the current supply issues on many items, including formula, scammers are watching.”
The BBB said that scammers typically target social media users with advertisements, posts or private group messages. Buyers who are in need get in contact with the alleged seller and arrange payment through peer-to-peer money transfer platforms, including PayPal or Venmo.
Baby formula shortage, empty shelves at Target due to product recall and supply chain issues, Queens, New York. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Buyers realize they’ve been scammed when the item “never arrives” at their home and the fraudulent seller disappears once they try to inquire about their order, the BBB explained.
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