Scammers strike

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By Dwain Duxson - An Ag Enthusiast

Scammers strike - We keep hearing about these Farm Machinery scams and I can't work out why people keep getting scammed. I might be the dumb one here.

One of our staff has a mate who got done in for something like $15,000. He bought what he thought was a Tractor off this site, Epic Farming. After a discussion with the so-called salesperson, he paid the invoice upfront. They then disappeared off the face of the earth. The Tractor never ever existed. Poor bugger.

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We all should play a little game with Epic Farming and inquire through their site by showing some interest in a Tractor. It would be interesting to understand how they try to reel you in. I just made an inquiry, then, and as of six hours later, I haven't heard anything back. I like to tease those scammers who call up by asking them for their bank account details so I can transfer some money to them straight away. I keep repeating, send me your bank details. Boy, that frustrates them…. Try it one day.

Can I just leave you with this? Our Farm Tender's business model lends itself to reducing the chances of getting scammed by having our 10 staff always actively scan the site for any undue activity. We also have a system where phone numbers are hidden until you make an inquiry through the site, and our staff monitor and follow up with each buyer or seller to help them through the buying and selling process. A lot of the time, we know the people who are buying and selling. I won't say that it's foolproof because that would be silly, but it does dramatically reduce the chance of getting caught out. One last thing: never leave your phone number with an item you are selling on the internet. Do you have a scamming story? Reply to dwaind@farmtender.com.au

End of message.