Maine & New Hampshire Residents Warned About Baby Formula Scams

Over the last few weeks, it has become clear to the parents of infants (and pretty much everyone else) that there is a shortage of available baby formula.  There are several reasons for the shortage, including the temporary closure of one of the country's largest formula factories over concerns about contamination.

This shortage has been extra concerning for the people whose babies need a certain type of formula.

Sadly, whenever situations like this arise, there are always people waiting to take advantage of those affected.  We're not talking about simple price gouging - which is bad enough.  Nope, we're talking about full on scams.

As a result, local government agencies are warning people about these scams.

According to WMTW, there have already been reports of severe price gouging.  Reports of scams cannot be far behind.

The TV station's article suggests some things to look out for when purchasing baby formula from online sources.  They say you should be concerned about online retailers who have no brick and mortar location and retailers who's address makes it look like they are in a parking lot or at a house.  Additionally, be wary if someone claims to have a lot of extra formula to sell.

They also say you should be concerned about basic words that are misspelled because it can indicate the creator of the post may not be local to you.

Also, if you have concerns, do an internet search for the name of the business along with the word "scam".

Finally, they suggest you take pics or screenshots of the phone number and other information on the website or social media post.  This is just in case the page or post disappears after you make a purchase.

If it all possible, only buy from regular retail sources.  If you need to buy from a private person, try only to purchase from people with whom you have common friends.  In other words, people who friends or co-workers can vouch for.

The one final piece of advise they have is that using a credit card may make it easier to get your money back if you are scammed.

Above all, be cautious.