Scam Alert

topside1 · #1 02/19/09, 08:05 PM

Short and to the point, when selling livestock only accept cash payment. This may be old news to some of you, so treat this as a reminder.
Here is the very short version of how this scam goes:

1. Buyer contacts you via e-mail, and wants to buy the livestock you are advertising.
2. Buyer cannot come to your farm because he has been in an accident, lost his hearing (no phone calls) and is physically unable to ride long distances.
3. He will send a knowledgeable friend to inspect your animal and transport back to the buyer.
4. Photos are sent, and a positive purchase agreement has been met.
5. *****Buyer then drafts a fake computerized bank cashier’s check and has it sent via FEDEX overnight to your doorstep*****.
6. Seller hungry for the sale then cashes the phony check which exceeds the agreed selling price.
7. Buyer says via e-mail to give the extra money to the hauler once he picks up the animal (hauling fee).
8. Scam ends with you loosing the amount of the cashed check, plus the livestock you sold. You’re out cash money because the check is a fake and your bank will discover the mistake and will want their funds returned.
I'm tired of typing but I think you get the picture. This game has been tried with me. Even when I told the idiots twice that the animal was dead, they simply ignored me and still sent a check anyway. Obviously more than one person involved.....Lots of evil people out there folks. Beware........Topside.

Ken Scharabok · #2 02/20/09, 05:01 AM

Thank you for bringing this up as a reminder. I understand it is quite common for people advertising livestock on various bulletin boards and such.

I had an anvil listed on Craigslist and the same thing was tried on it. They were a small manufacturer in a West African country who desperately needed an anvil. I was to ship it UPS Express, which they would pay for. I would have been out the anvil and the shipping costs (about $800 as I recall). I replied I would only do the deal if they paid me via PayPal. Never heard from them again.

Since I have an eBay store I get at least one request a month to ship out of country with payment via a credit card. I have no doubt the credit card had been stolen.

I got caught in one phoney Western Union money order scam. When I received the money order I just double checked it was for the right amount. Bounced. They had copied it into the computer and then redid the amount. When I got it back from the bank and really looked at it, it was obviously a forgery from the get go. That eBay buyer scammed some other people as well and is about to go on trial in SC due to it. I don't expect to receive any money back out of the deal.

carellama · #3 02/20/09, 06:29 AM

Back to the old saying, "if it is too good to be true, beware" WE have been in the farming advertising circuit for 5 years and have heard of this scam a couple of times and been sent e mails twice. It is pretty obvious so I never reply. The delete button is quickly used.

francismilker · #4 02/21/09, 06:55 AM

Good post topside! After reading it though I kind of have to chuckle. I was in the process of making a deal on a registered jersey bull last week via email conversation that had been listed on craigslist. I was in the process of bartering back and forth and trying to settle on a halfway point to meet the seller when they suddenly dropped off the face of the map and never replied again. I wonder if they thought I was trying to scam them. Although I had never suggested to have a middleman in the deal nor mail them a check in advance, they must have been a little leery. (or sold the bull)

Farmsteader · #5 02/21/09, 02:42 PM

Be a good Scam back on them to Catch one of these guys Duct tape him up and tell him to have some cash money brought for his escape, then bust them both! Of course its a huge risk for gun play etc. but if you plan it right , these scammers should be stopped , with this economy going south we will see more of these , unfortunately.

mamahen · #6 02/21/09, 03:50 PM

Someone in Africa wanted one of my FREE barn kittens. Was even going to give me $550 for my trouble

.

topside1 · #7 02/21/09, 04:10 PM

I was tempted to play along and either have the sheriffs dept. at the house waiting on the pick-up driver.....Or better yet I was going to send the driver with truck and trailer down a long logging road that has no spots to turn around...imagine backing a cattle trailer 2 miles backwards thru the forest. Maybe even felling some trees too...just for laughs....Topside....part-time evil.

francismilker · #8 02/22/09, 08:46 AM

I kind of like the loggig road idea. Around here you could send them down some oilfield lease roads that are "forward only" type paths that require 4WD to get through them with no cell phone service. I'd imagine the driver would think twice about being a participant in that scam again!

Anderson farms · #9 02/23/09, 02:42 PM

we had that happen when we were selling some farm equipment. guy kept emailing me that he wanted my livestock carrier and wanted to send money order. I wrote and said cash only. He emailed back and said he would pay $150 more but had to be money order because he didn't trust driver with money, but he was making money order out for 225 more and we were to give extra to driver for gas money. I wrote and said sorry sold. Just smelled bad to me...glad to know my feelings were right!

DenMacII · #10 02/23/09, 03:28 PM

I own and operate a Packing/Shipping store. Over the Christmas Holiday I had an older couple almost scammed by this same scenario. They sold a quilt on Craig's List. They wanted our store to package it up since a private courier was to pick the item up. During my conversation with them they started to tell me that the cashiers check was for way more than the sale amount, and they were instructed to pay the delivery person the overage. When I asked how much over; they replied $13,000! I told them to go to their bank immediately and that the check was no good - which they did; and sure enough, the check was in the process of being returned as fake. Fortunately they did not lose all thier money, but these scammers were gone in the wind. This couple never really knew who they were dealing with and the authorities would not able to persue them.

It's a shame that we seem to be living in a time where you really do need to look the other person in the eye, shake their hand, and deal in cash only.