‘Ruthlessly lured’: Scammers preying on Aussie farmers

Australian farmers are losing tens of thousands of dollars on tractor and machinery sales listings that turn out to be sophisticated scams, with the consumer watchdog warning farmers and rural businesses to beware of online deals that look “too good to be true”.

Scammers stole $1.2 million from farm businesses between July 1 and August 31, a surge of more than 20 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The ACCC is urging farmers to be particularly alert to false machinery ads online, with more than $1 million lost to this type of scam alone.

“These scams are causing substantial financial losses and emotional devastation,” said ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh.

“Scammers are ruthlessly luring farmers and rural businesses with seemingly good online deals on tractors and other farm machinery through fake websites or bogus classifieds on legitimate platforms and publications.”

The ACCC data follows heightened awareness around information security, scams and cyberattacks after the personal data of 10 million Australians was stolen in last month’s Optus breach, leading to an investigation into the telco and a push from voters for tougher privacy laws.

‘Scammers will often have an excuse as to why machinery can’t be inspected in person and that is a red flag for any buyer.’

Mick Keogh, ACCC deputy chair

Scammers employ sophisticated methods to make a fake business look convincing, such as listing ABNs on fake websites, providing a mock sale contract, answering questions about the machine, and offering a free trial period after a deposit is made into a fake escrow account.

Keogh urged farmers and small business owners to take extra steps to verify a business is legitimate before making an expensive purchase online, such as inspecting machinery in person or through live video.