The Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee reports online baby formula scams are happening in the Upper Cumberland Region.
President/CEO Robyn Householder said scammers are taking advantage of desperate families during a national shortage.
“They’re getting targeted through pop-up ads, social media and fake websites that look like the real thing,” Householder said. “These scammers are extremely good at duplicating well-known brands, logos and website content.”
Householder said the online aspect of these scams make them even more dangerous. Householder said people are online more than ever before, so you may be more likely to fall victim.
“Scammers are nothing more than opportunists,” Householder said. “They are going to take every opportunity of a situation in a market place to take your money. They do not have a conscious. This is not about a moral code. This is about moving money from your pocketbook to theirs.”
Householder said the good news however is these scammers usually do not have a strong handle on the American language. Householder said one of the strongest signals of a scam is simply spelling or grammar issues.
Householder said besides that, research the organization selling the baby formula. Householder said you can often times spot a scam by searching what other people are saying online.
“Do your homework,” Householder said. “Type the name of the company and type scam after it, reviews or complaints. See what other people are saying about the organization. Make sure that URL address in the search bar is in fact representation of the company that you think you are shopping with and be sure to see that lock in the URL bar.”
Householder said if you do make a purchase, try to use a credit card instead of a debit card.
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