Baby formula shortage sign

A sign is posted at a CVS pharmacy indicating a shortage in the availability of baby food Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. Parents in much of the U.S. are scrambling to find baby formula after a combination of supply disruptions and safety recalls have swept many of the leading brands from store shelves. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky's attorney general is warning parents to watch out for scams amid a nationwide baby formula shortage.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron's Office said formula scammers might use ploys "similar to those used by online purchase scammers" who may pose as a legitimate online seller claiming to sell scarce products, such as baby formula. 

Another sign to watch for is items being sold at prices that could be too high or "too good to be true." 

Cameron's office said scammers will often sell the items on social media platforms, independent websites, or other online vendors including Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. 

When shopping online at such retailers, parents should be wary of sellers who require payment upfront for the product or shipping, and may ask for that upfront payment in the form of gift cards or an online payment platform. Cameron said consumers who fall victim to these scams "never receive the promised product."

To avoid being scammed, officials suggest parents buy their formula from known and reputable sources and to pay with a credit card when possible. Secondly, to avoid paying for formula upfront if purchasing from an unknown source on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace.

Lastly, the attorney general's office said parents should be suspicious of sellers advertising formula at prices "that are too good to be true," as it is likely a scam.

Suspected scams can be reported to the attorney general's office by clicking here or calling the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-888-432-9257.

Baby formula supplies across the country have been "severely curtailed" in recent weeks following a recall in February by Abbott Nutrition that has exacerbated ongoing supply chain issues among formula makers, the Associated Press reported. The shortage has left fewer options on store shelves for parents struggling to find formula for their babies.

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was streamlining its review process to make it easier for foreign manufacturers to begin shipping more formula to the U.S. 

Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced that he had invoked the Defense Protection Act to speed up production of infant formula. He also announced that he had authorized flights to import supply from overseas, following the FDA's announcement, in what is being called "Operation Fly Formula."

The order requires suppliers of formula manufacturers to fulfill orders from those companies before before other customers in an effort to eliminate production bottlenecks. 

Also this week, regulators said they had reached a deal to allow Abbott Nutrition to restart its plant in Sturgis, Michigan, the country's largest formula manufacturing plant, which has been closed since the February recall because of contamination issues. In order to resume production, the company has to overhaul its safety protocols and procedures.

Following the FDA's OK, Abbott said it would take eight to ten weeks for new products begin to refill store shelves. The company did not set a timeline to restart manufacturing.

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Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.