Desperate mothers in need of formula due to the nationwide shortage turned to social media platform Facebook to find food for their babies, but scammers were waiting for them instead, according to WMAR 2 Baltimore.
One of those moms is Jessica Cassell from Cecil County. Her son's name is Landon, and he was born a month premature on January 14 of this year. Landon relied on a special formula at three months old, but Cassell could not find the much-needed product anywhere.
Cassell said she went to eight stores but found nothing, so she started freaking out as a first-time mom. Other mothers created communities on Facebook listing locations of stores with formula still in stock or even shipping supplies across the United States. Cassell posted in one of those groups, and Jacklyn Strickland responded.
Seller said she needed money for her babies' diapers
According to Cassell, Strickland said she had three cans for $50. She told her that if she didn't know the formula's price, that was a really good deal. The worried mom said she would send payment after receiving the tracking information, but the seller said she needed the money sooner.
Cassell recalled Strickland was in a rush, telling her that she needed diapers for her babies and get them before the store closed. The seller said she needed to send the money, or she went there for nothing. Cassell said she wanted her baby to have diapers, so she sent her more money for the shipping, but she never received a package.
According to the United States Postal Service (USPS) status updates, the seller did create a shipping label, but the item was never dropped off. Cassell said she was fortunate she only sent the seller about $80, but she has seen other people who need more expensive formula get scammed out of as much as $300 to $400. She added that mothers are scraping pennies to feed their babies and getting scammed out of this money instead.
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Scams happen not just with baby formula
Angie Barnett, the president and CEO of Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland, sees these scams often happen, not just with baby formula. She said this is an opportunity for scammers to see high demand for a product with limited availability.
Barnett advises consumers to go with someone local when buying from sellers on social media for them to be able to inspect the product and see if it is damaged, dented, and authentic. She advised mothers to use a credit card for better protection, even if there is an added charge, and research if the peer-to-peer payment app provides buyer protection.
Barnett added that when it is a fraud, you have to prove it is, and you have to do a chargeback. You must immediately provide all your documentation, receipts, and communication and keep those in writing. Moms should keep those documents whole until they receive the product.
