JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) – Delivery apps like DoorDash and Instacart skyrocketed in popularity and use during the pandemic, giving people the ability to get what they need from the safety of their homes.

Unfortunately, as with almost any online platform, users run the risk of getting scammed.

In late January, Felicia Dawn Hager decided on beef stew for dinner. She ordered the ingredients through Instacart, along with a few other items, for a grand total of $87.

A few days later, she was shocked to see she’d been charged more than double that, $203 to be exact.

Hager thinks someone took advantage of her, using her card to go on their own personal shopping spree. She’s filed a complaint with both Kroger and Instacart in hopes of getting her money back.

In the meantime, she wants to use her experience as a cautionary tale that others can learn from.

Her best advice is simple, pay attention.

“I don’t know how it happened or why, but to me it looked like my stuff was marked out of stock and substitutions were made and it all went on my card,” Hager explained. “The items that I ordered that were marked out of stock, I got. So how does that work?”

FOX 56 reached out to Instacart for comment on this specific situation, as well as scams as a whole.

They sent the following information:

• We work closely with our partners at Kroger to ensure customers have the best shopping and delivery experience possible.
• If a customer has an issue with an order placed on Kroger.com, Kroger’s customer service team is available to quickly review the situation and issue appropriate refunds.
• When signing up for the platform, shoppers agree to the Instacart independent contractor agreement and account access guidelines.
• These guidelines are intended to ensure that shoppers and customers alike can use and enjoy the Instacart platform in a safe and professional manner.
• As part of these guidelines, shoppers may be deactivated for reasons including fraudulent activity, violating applicable laws, failing to meet acceptable standards of service, or any other misuse of the platform.

Although Hager was a victim of one scam where she was charged more than she originally thought she paid for, another scam on Instacart is when a customer is missing items because the shopper kept them for themselves.

The Better Business Bureau said, if possible, you should read the reviews of the person delivering your items before using any delivery service app.

The BBB also advises once the delivery is made, go through the items with your delivery driver to make sure everything is there and accounted for.

If there is an issue, talk it out.

If later on however you find that something is off, your credit card is going to be your best friend.

“In that regard, you can dispute charges that you may not have authorized, said Community & Media Relations Coordinator for the BBB Heather Clary. “If it comes to that. So that’s why we do suggest when using an online venue for the first time or even just as a regular matter, of course, use that credit card because you have those extra protections that you don’t always have if you just use a debit card.”

Overall, Clary said if something seems odd when you place an order online, get it taken care of right away.