Buyer beware: Dublin woman warns of formula scams, stolen packages. Here’s what we know.
Countless parents are struggling to find infant formula to feed their babies as part of the 2021-2022 global supply chain crisis.
Although the U.S. is importing infant formula, there is still much more work to be done. Many families are getting desperate for relief and some have unfortunately run into scams when searching for formula.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr warned consumers of the countless scams affecting parents throughout the state. ““Nothing is more important than a child’s health and well-being, and anyone artificially increasing the cost of formula on the backs of hardworking Georgians will be held accountable for their illegal actions,” he said. “Our office will continue to support and protect Georgia’s families who are frustrated by empty store shelves and outrageous prices when they are simply trying to feed their children.”
Carr said some sellers may try to take advantage of this nationwide shortage by charging exorbitant prices for formula. Scammers may even create fake websites or advertisements offering baby formula in an attempt to steal people’s money.
And that’s exactly why Ashley White, a Dublin resident and mother to a 4-month-old girl, reached out to The Telegraph to share her experience.
“When the shortage hit, we were down to two tubs of formula. We got a few donated cans, plus friends and family started finding and sending the Enfamil kind that she needed,” she said.
However, White was still in need of more, so she took the advice of her friends and joined a Facebook group where other families buy, sell and trade infant formula. While the Facebook group is a helpful resource for families, it has recently become a platform for scams.
“We’ve had multiple people share a name, along with chats and texts, of someone who is scamming people by messaging them and saying that they have the certain formula that someone may need, but after they make exchanges of money, mostly via PayPal and Venmo. The person then blocks the buyer or refuses to message them back,” White said.
White said those buyers never received their money back or the formula they thought they were purchasing. She also said this has not happened to her personally, but has frequently heard of it happening to others in the group.
Price gauging and scamming were dire enough for Gov. Brian Kemp to declare a state of emergency last month, which will remain in effect until June 14. While in effect, businesses may not charge more for products and services in short supply than they charged prior to the shortage. Violators of Georgia’s price gouging statutes may be fined up to $5,000 per violation.
Carr recommended forgoing social media groups to find formula and using reputable websites. You can check out a company’s reputation through the Better Business Bureau (BBB) at www.bbb.org.
Other than Facebook scams, White shared her own personal experience with formula deliveries via UPS — and the experience has not been a pleasant one.
“A friend sent 13 cans of formula to me and it arrived in Atlanta, but has then had no updates since that day on May 27th. I filed a claim with UPS and they found the package last Friday. Sometime between that day and June sixth, UPS customer service said the package was already delivered to us,” she said, “We have cameras and have been home most of the time. We never received the box of 13 cans. Customer service said they will reopen the claim and find out what happened.”
White explained that UPS might refund the money, but she is unsure of how such a large package could get lost in the shuffle.
“I just feel like the cans were stolen, rather than lost,” White said.
Consumers can report scams and suspected price gouging to the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division by calling 404-651-8600 or 1-800-869-1123. Georgians can also file a complaint online by visiting CPD’s website.
For more information about potential scams related to the baby formula shortage, visit the BBB website.
If you are struggling to find baby formula during the shortage, the Georgia Department of Public Health recommends you visit healthychildren.org. If you have any concerns about your baby’s nutrition, please talk to your pediatrician. For more tips and information regarding the formula shortage, please visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 1:01 PM.
