Beware of email scams

Beware of email scams

• By: admin
• On: 01/13/2025 12:12:01
• In: Industry News

Several months ago, we sent you a warning about scammers who were targeting meat processors and stealing thousands of pounds of meat products. We unfortunately have another member who was scammed, but he was able to provide a few more details about how this works. We are letting you know so that you can protect your business.

The first scam we reported in July 2024 involved criminals calling to order large quantities of meat primals and paying over the phone with stolen credit cards. They also used ACH payments and revoked the payments after the product was received. This recent scam involves emails. The processor in question was approached via email by someone representing a large distributor asking for 15,000 pounds of ground beef. The email scammer was using the procurement manager's identity, had a fake email address that looked legitimate at first glance and sent fake credit applications. The scammer will also schedule pickup with a legitimate freight company, which is also a victim in the scam. The scammer will get the product, but none of the companies involved will ever get paid.

How can you protect yourself from a similar scam? Be very careful with any unsolicited email that you receive, particularly those that sound "odd". There may be misspellings and curious word choices. You may see words randomly capitalized, or the order of words may be reversed. In other words, the email reads like it was written by someone who does not speak English or was run through an online translator program. Additionally, you need to carefully check the email address of the sender. The domain may resemble a company you recognize, but there may be a letter that's missing, or an "l" has been replaced with a capital i ("I"). If anything looks suspicious, you should probably call the supposed company - but NOT with a phone number in the email! Search the company's information online and call a number you find on its website.

In the case of this most recent scam, the procurement manager who supposedly sent the email had been retired for several years. The email domain name was "@gscnterprisesinc.com." GSC Enterprises is a legitimate company, but notice that there is no "e" in "enterprise" in the email address. The text of the email is below:

"Hello,
I'm writing this email as the Purchasing for GSC Enterprises Inc .
We're interested in buying the below item..
Grounded Beef
Grounded Pork
Wagyu Beef
And we'd like a quotation on the prices of these product. We hope to hear from you soon. Kindly include your new customer/credit application along with the quote.
For further clarification or inquiry, Please call or email us."

The text doesn't sound quite natural, does it? Nobody in the meat industry would ask for "grounded beef." Additionally, the signature states that the sender is from "GSC Enterprise Inc.," which is inconsistent with the text that said they're from GSC Enterprises Inc. "Enterprises" is singular in one reference and plural in another.

Not every unsolicited email you will receive is a scam, and not every email you receive will be written in perfect English. But these issues should raise red flags for you, and you need to perform your due diligence before you respond. Check with other processors in your area, because multiple companies may be targeted with the same scam. If you feel like you are being targeted or have already been scammed, you need to contact your state police and the FBI.

The companies that have been targeted in these scams have been in the Great Plains - Oklahoma and Kansas. However, these things will change over time. Criminals may target new areas, and their emails might become more authentic. Regardless of where you are located, please be cautious with orders that sound too good to be true. We don't want any of our members to lose out on thousands of dollars' worth of product.

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