ST. LOUIS, Mo. -A baby formula shortage in stores across America has led to scams online. The Better Business Bureau provides tips to ensure safety while shopping online for formula.
According to the BBB, the latest variation of the scam features an ad, post, or social media group that offers baby formula for sale. The buyer contacts the seller via chat or direct message, showing photos of the cans available. The buyer makes a payment through a peer-to-peer platform such as PayPal or Venmo, but the formula never arrives.
“Scammers have a long history of exploiting scarcity, and this is a particularly heinous example of their lack of scruples,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “Parents desperate to feed their children should still take the proper care to buy from trustworthy vendors, or else they could lose their money along with their peace of mind.”
The BBB provided the following tips to keep shoppers safe online:
- Check out the website before making a purchase:
- Check BBB.org to check a business’s rating and BBB Accreditation status. Some crooks may copy the BBB seal. If it is real, clicking on the seal should lead to the company’s BBB profile.
- Scamadvisor.com can often tell you how long a website has been in operation. Scammers create and close…
