Commodity watch by policy officer Sarah Morrell
Unfortunately, an increasing number of farmers are falling victim to scams, as methods of fraud become more and more sophisticated. Some common scams to be alert to include:
Invoice scams
When an invoice is received always check it is for something you have ordered and from the business you purchased from. Scammers attempt to re-direct payments by posing as a legitimate supplier and use company logos to make emails and invoices look genuine. On the rare occasion a business does change their bank details, be sure to check with the business using the official contact details listed on its website, in person or by calling the number you normally use when ordering or paying for goods.
Fake websites selling fake goods
Always do your research before buying from a website you haven’t used before, including looking for reviews or customer feedback. Fake websites steal images from legitimate business advertisements and use them as their own, making them look very genuine. Be wary if the starting price is extremely low and not in line with current market prices. More often than not, the products does not exist. This has become a particular issue when buying machinery online, always view machinery in person before putting down a deposit.
Social media scams
Scammers will advertise machinery, equipment or other farm supplies at very low prices on social media. Whilst the offer may seem genuine and the photographs look very professional, scammers can be highly skilled in web design to make these offers appear genuine. If you see an advert offering expensive items at a low price, stop and think – is this too good to be true?
Banking deception
This occurs when someone is manipulated into transferring money to a scammer. The criminal may claim that there has been suspicious activity on the account, a refund is owed, details on the account need to be ‘verified’ or ‘updated’ and that the customer must act quickly. Anyone who pressures you into paying quickly is likely to be a scammer. If you are unsure, do not be rushed into transferring money, instead ask for time to consider and look into the details of the requested transaction. Have the confidence to refuse unusual requests for personal or financial information. It’s easy to feel embarrassed or when faced with unexpected or complex conversations, but it’s best to stop the discussion if you do not feel in control of it.
To prevent falling victim to scammers it’s important to have up to date antivirus software installed on your computer, this helps identify fake websites and prevent criminals from accessing private information. Create strong passwords, according to the government site of National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the most effective password is made up of three random words for example, dogtreecar. Do not use the same password for every online account that you have. It is particularly important to have a strong, separate password for your email account so that criminals cannot use your email account as an entry point to other accounts used for online shopping.
Finally, when buying online, remember that if a deal seems too good to be true it probably is. Contact your bank straight away if you think you may have fallen victim to a scam.
