Tech experts are urging parents to be aware of baby formula scams as they circulate on the internet right now.
While Abbott Nutrition has announced that specialty formula production has already restarted at its plant in Sturgis, Michigan, tech experts are still warning parents about online scams and for them not to trust everything they see on the internet.
Tech expert Burton Kelso told Click on Detroit that it does not take much to take photos of baby formula and then post them online in order to lure people and trick them out of their money. Kelso urged parents to check reviews and company history when making their purchases.
Tips for parents to avoid baby formula scams
He also called on parents to keep track of shipping numbers as well as use a credit card over debit when making the online purchases of baby formula. Kelso added that getting strange demands for gift cards for payment or even asking to be paid in cryptocurrency is definitely a sign that you need to leave that website.
While parents might be desperate to find formula for their kids, Dr. Kristin Sohl said that it is always best to consult with a pediatrician first. Sohl also stressed that parents should not hoard supplies and to think about other families that could be in need when purchasing formula, saying that buying what you just need is a really hard thing and yet something that is really important."
While being patient can be difficult for affected parents, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced recently that more than 1 million cans of formula will be imported from the country of Mexico to address the ongoing shortage, according to the Daily Mail. Parents can expect to see the shelves slowly being stocked up with formula by July of this year.
Scammers using baby formula shortage for their own profit
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an urgent warning last month, with the agency sounding the alarm that thieves have begun to swarm the baby formula shortage for their own illicit profit. The FTC said that scammers have popped up online, tricking desperate caregivers and parents into paying steep prices for formula that never arrives.
The FTC said that scammers who are exploiting the high demand for baby formula products have sunk to new lows lately. The bulletin said that they may make fake websites or profiles on social media using product images and logos of household-name formula brands. Scammers use this scheme to make parents think they are buying products from the companies' official websites.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein's office told ABC News that scammers are looking to take advantage of this crisis to steal a quick buck instead of helping parents in this perilous position. New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez echoed that sentiment, saying parents may find themselves scrambling to find alternative solutions but in the end could end up being scammed by unscrupulous bad actors online.
