Greg's Corner

Are scammers selling tainted baby formula?

By Greg Collier

It will come as no shock to some parents of newborn babies that baby formula is expensive. Some experts believe it’s artificially expensive, but that’s a story for another day. Anyway, to make matters worse, there was a major recall of baby formula launched last month. Some well established brands were found to be contaminated with salmonella. You can get more specific details about the recall at the USDA’s website. Combined with already existing supply chain issues, the recall has helped create a baby formula shortage. As has become the norm, whenever there’s a crisis, scammers will try to take advantage of it. The recall is no different, but it could lead to disastrous effects to their victims.

Much of the country’s baby formula is distributed through state WIC programs. The program, is designed to help low-income families whose young children may be at nutritional risk. This can include the distribution of baby formula for families who request it. Unfortunately, WIC programs have distributed some of the recalled formula. This is where the scammers come in.

According to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, scammers are going door to door posing as WIC employees. They’re asking for the recalled formula so they can return the formula and get a refund for the recipient. Reports say the scammers are returning the formula and pocketing the refund for themselves. However, there could also be a much more dangerous fallout to this scam.

Baby formula is a popular item to sell in online gray markets. In some cases, people who are on WIC will get the formula even if they don’t need it and will sell it at a discount. These recent scammers may not want to wait for a refund from the government and will instead try to sell the formula online. Families who don’t qualify for WIC but still need formula may buy the tainted formula online without knowing its risks.

If you find that you have some of the recalled formula, there are avenues you can pursue to get a refund. You can return it to where it was purchased, return it to WIC, or go to the manufacturer’s website for further instructions. However, you should be aware that WIC is not going door to door to collect the formula. If someone comes to your door claiming to be from any governmental agency, ask to see their identification and call the agency they’re supposed to represent to see whether they are legitimate or not.