Shropshire farmers warned of machinery scam
Shropshire farmers are being warned to beware of paying for farm equipment that doesn't exist over the internet.
Fraudsters have begun targeting farmers using emails and auction sites, police have revealed.
Online auction websites are being used to advertise bogus agricultural equipment and coax victims into agreeing to purchase it, making sure that all correspondence is done via email.
The victim then receives emails which claim to be from genuine payment merchants or auction websites which state that the money they have paid will be held in an "escrow account" and only released to the seller once confirmed the buyer is happy with the purchase.
The email says this will provide the person with "buyer protection", lulling targeted farmers into a false sense of security – but in reality the emails are fraudulent and don't come from the named companies.
In fact the victims are paying into accounts owned by the fraudsters.
Richard Yates, chairman of the Shropshire branch of the National Farmers' Union, who also farms near Bridgnorth, said: "We are always getting bogus emails – we just ignore them.
"History and experience tells me to be cynical and that anything which is too good to be true usually is. Sadly there are fraudsters out there. I feel the authorities should stamp down on them.
"They prey on the weak and often people in financial difficulties. Some people are tempted by cheap deals but we have to be sceptical.
"We sometimes have people coming round trying to sell us things from their trailers but I never have bought anything that way."
Katy Worobec, director of Financial Fraud Action UK, said: "Criminals are turning their attention to businesses such as farms because successfully scamming a company can net the fraudster a much bigger haul than they could steal from an individual."
For more information visit the Action Fraud website www.actionfraud.police.uk
