Mothers and caregivers scrambling to feed their babies due to the short supply of baby formula may find themselves a at an increased risk of a scam.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General has just released a Consumer Alert. The AG's office notes that scammers love to take advantage of product scarcity and vulnerability. They warn, "if you're purchasing baby formula online, be cautious – make sure it is from a trusted source. And if you believe you've been scammed, file a complaint."

This comes one day after the Better Business Bureau released a similar warning saying the shortage in baby formula is pushing mothers to find other ways of getting the much-needed item.

Here's how the BBB says a scam most likely will work:

  • An ad, post, or social media group posts they have baby formula available. '
  • The buyer contacts the seller via chat or direct message, showing photos of the cans available.
  • The buyer makes a payment through a peer-to-peer platform such as PayPal or Venmo, but the formula never arrives.

Here are signs of a potential scam:

  • Positive reviews on the website that have been copied from honest sites or created by scammers. Be aware, some review websites claim to be independent but are funded by scammers.?
  • No indication of a brick-and-mortar address or the address shows on a Google map as a parking lot, residence, or unrelated business than what is listed on the website.
  • Misspellings, grammatical errors, or other descriptive language that is inconsistent with the product. 
  • The seller advertises on a social media site and is communicative until the payment is made. Once the payment clears, they are unreachable.

Tips to avoid a scam:

  • Visit ?BBB.ord? to check a business’s rating and BBB accreditation status. Impostors have been known to copy the BBB seal. If it is real, clicking on the seal will lead to the company’s BBB profile on BBB.org - check the domain of the URL.
  • Conduct an internet search with the company name and the word “scam.” This may locate other complaints about the site.? 
  • Make a note of the website where the order is placed. Take a screenshot of the item ordered, in case the website disappears, or a different item is received in the mail than what was advertised.? 
  • Credit cards often?provide?more protection against fraud than?other payment?methods.? 
  • Think before you click. Be especially cautious about email solicitations and online ads on social media. 

Report suspected fraud to:

  • Better Business Bureau?- file a complaint?at?BBB.org?or report a?scam?at?BBB.org/scamtracker.?
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?- file a complaint?at?reportfraud.ftc.gov?or call 877-FTC-Help.? 
  • National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center?- report intellectual property and counterfeiting violations to?iprcenter.gov/referral/view.? 
  • Internet Crime Complaint enter (IC3)?- file a complaint?at?ic3.gov/complaint.? 
  • Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre?- file a report?at?antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca?or call 1-888-495-8501.? 
  • Facebook?– report ads that violate Facebooks policies by clicking the *** next to an ad to go to?facebook.com/business/help.? 
  • Instagram?- report copyright infringement or other policy violations?at?help.instagram.com.? 
  • Amazon?– report suspicious activities and webpages at?Amazon.com.? 
  • Google?– report scams at?Google.com.? 
  • PayPal?- call?(888) 221-1161 to speak with a live person instead of using?an automated system if you receive an item that is not as advertised.? 
  • Credit card company?- Call the phone number on the back of the credit card to report the fraud and request a refund.?