Scammers targeting mothers looking for formula

El PASO, Texas -- Officials are warning of baby formula scams. Several moms taking to social media for formula have already fallen prey, nationally, though none have been reported locally.

The dire shortage is forcing moms to take desperate measures and turn to the internet. The Better Business Bureau of El Paso, says moms are becoming a target for scammers seeking to exploit their needs.

The scams are popping up as ad posts on social media and tricking parents into paying for formula that will never arrive. The better business website says some scams come with fraudulent websites.

The fraudulent websites even depict the formula for sale along with honest positive reviews copied from other legitimate websites and passed off as their own.

Jessica Ortiz is a member of El Paso finding baby formula a local Facebook group.

She moderates the group with Sylvia Hernandez who created the group after a tireless search for a formula for her 4-month-old son. She says though no one in their group has been scammed yet, there have been attempts. "We caught somebody in the past taking free formula from everybody and making multiple comments asking people to dm them," said Ortiz. Ortiz says that person was trying to sell the donated formula for profit," said Ortiz

"It's bad, it's bad it hurts me as a mother but there's always gonna be people that take advantage of people's situation," said Ortiz.

Hernandez says the group wasn't made with the intent to sell.

"This group is about if you go to the store if you go to Walmart and Cielo Vista if you go to the store and see that they have formula just take a picture and post it and say I'm here at Walmart ladies this is what they have.," said Hernandez.

Hernandez made the group for mothers to send each other photos of formula availability throughout El Paso." I remember just staring at the shelves and my eyes were in tears." said Hernandez

Hernandez says the cruel people haven't taken away the support she's felt from the group. "All the moms they're trying to help" "it's amazing how we can use it for a positive thing now that we're going through something really sad." said Hernandez

You can search for a company's legitimacy on bbb.org before making an online sale, and if you think you've been scammed you can report it to fraud.ftc.gov