Scammers are Impersonating Farm Equipment Businesses

Originally published on the Federal Trade Commission website, this article alerts farmers to potential farm equipment sales fraud and includes important tips on avoiding these scams, as well as a secure link to report imposters.

The Federal Trade Commission is hearing about a scam targeting some of the hardest working people out there: farmers. Scammers posing as farm equipment businesses are selling (fake) equipment to farmers, who end up empty-handed. Here's how the scam works and how to avoid it.

It starts like this: you might scroll through social media and see an ad for a tractor. It's a good price and looks like it's from a legit business. Or you search online and see a tractor from a business you know, and maybe even bought equipment from before. In either case, when you contact them, they send a purchase agreement and invoice. They typically ask you to send thousands of dollars - usually by wire transfer - as a deposit or full payment, and schedule a delivery date.

What happens next? The delivery never comes. It turns out this was never a legit business and was all a scam. The scammer either stops answering or makes up another excuse (e.g., there's an issue with the delivery truck). You're out both the money and a tractor.

How can you (or your local farmer) avoid these and other impersonation scams?

• Before you buy based on any ad, check it out. Social media companies don't always vet ads. Do some research by searching online for the company name plus "scam" or "complaint."
• Know that the first search results you see might be paid ads. Sometimes scammers place them: they pretend to be a real business but use their own contact info instead. Scroll past those ads to the unpaid search results to help confirm you have the right website or contact information.
• Never send money to anyone who says you can only pay by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or payment app. Scammers prefer these methods because once they've collected the money, it's almost impossible to get it back.

Spot an impersonation scam? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

View the original article on the FTC website here.