Better Business Bureau Warns Of Baby Formula Shortage Scam
We should have seen this one coming. The current shortage on baby formula has given scammers new reasons to take advantage of those in need.
This is a common thing, especially over the past few years. As the pandemic picked up momentum, so did scammers who did everything to take advantage of the anxiety and fear everyone all over the world was feeling.
Scams throughout the pandemic were wide-ranging, from scammers using stimulus checks and vaccine cards as ways to scam the general public. The list of ways they got creative to scam people is truly endless.
Scammers even used the Lysol shortage as a way to cash in. In December of 2020, when cleaning supplies were in short supply due to everyone stocking up during the pandemic, the Federal Trade Commission had to issue a warning to consumers. Scammers were taking well-known brands and selling knockoff cleaning supplies on fake websites.
Now, with baby formula in short supply, scammers are trying to cash in on that too. The Better Business Bureau issued a warning to families about a few ways scammers are trying to take advantage of the shortage. They issued the warning on Tuesday (May 24th).
Scammers know that parents might try to buy off market baby formula or buy formula from somewhere they normally wouldn't as the shortage continues. This creates, as the BBB says, a great opportunity for someone to scam you.
So how does the scam work? Similar to other scams, you might see a post on social media that someone has baby formula available. Someone in need of formula reaches out and is asked to pay for it prior to pickup. We all know how this ends: the person in need of the formula spends money but never gets the formula.
It wouldn't be hard for a scammer to find a picture of baby formula on the internet and try to pass it off on their own, especially when someone is in a stressful situation and searching for formula in the first place.
Thankfully, there are a few ways to spot a scam. As always look out for words that are spelled wrong or grammatical issues, as these would not be present with a legitimate company. Another great way to tell something is a scam is by the address. Look up every address prior to purchase to make sure it is legitimate and not a spot in the middle of nowhere.
As with any scam, make sure you don't give our any credit card or banking information to someone over the internet. If you are not sure if something is a scam, try to do a little extra research or hold off payment until you can be sure they are legitimate.
Sadly, scammers probably will always find ways to scam people no matter the situation. They have even gone as far as to sell knockoff gaming systems when we were still hunkering down in quarantine.