https://youtu.be/A8ZEJvCTRhE via @YouTube
Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Shortages in the supply of
baby formula are leading new moms to find other ways of finding the much-needed item
- and risking themselves to potential online scams. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration announced it is taking proactive measures to increase supply to help
ease the shortage.
According to the 2021 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, online shopping scams are the
riskiest. With the current supply issues on many items, including formula, scammers are
watching.
How it works
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 (a BBB
Accredited Business) or Venmo (a BBB Accredited Business), but the formula never
arrives.
Signs of a potential online purchase scam include:
● 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. Check BBB.org.
● 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.
Check out the website before making a purchase:
● Visit BBB.org 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 sites.
Report suspected online shopping 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.
Ayers Tip of the Week
Hi, this is Charlie, with another Ayers Auto Tip of the Week. These days, many vehicles have an oil life monitor that tells you when it's time to change your oil. Otherwise, follow the instructions in your owner’s manual. Ask your technician to print out the maintenance schedule for your make and model. Regular oil changes keep your engine running in top condition, saves gas, and helps you avoid major repairs.