Faced with empty stores shelves, desperate parents are going online to buy baby formula, and scammers are waiting.
The fraudsters are using fake websites and social media posts to sell non-existent formula at inflated prices. In some cases, they even have pictures of formula cans to lure customers. Unfortunately, the product never arrives.
“They are asking people to pay using a per-to-per payment system, and once that money is paid out, they never end up receiving that product,” Sandra Guile, a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau, told ABC News.”
Keep in Mind: Buy baby formula on Craigslist or from an unknown seller, and you also run the risk of getting potentially dangerous formula that’s counterfeit or expired.
You might be able to use the internet to search legitimate sources for formula. Free online inventory trackers – such as NowInStock.net, ZooLert.com, and HotStock.io – now track baby formula, according to the Wall Street Journal. You can sign up and receive automatic alerts.
Note: If you still can’t find the formula, you need talk to your pediatrician or contact the WIC program.
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