"Hay Scams" Spreading on the Internet

Internet scam artists are always seeking new ways to trick unsuspecting users, and the more trusting the subject the better. Farmers are, according to a release this week from Aden Brook Farms in New York State, becoming a popular target for the scammers, and they are sounding the alarm.

It may not be making the news as much as identity theft or fake charities, but "hay scams" are a real problem for farmers, says Aden Brook Farms. "No longer is it just an occasional crooked hay dealer overstating the weight of the bales," they say. Scam artists targeting farmers are "full-blown operations."

Many communities exist on the Internet where users get online for a specific purpose, and rarely go beyond the websites where they normally pursue their hobby or business. Agriculture is likely to be no different. Websites like Haybarn.com exist to trade valuable commodities like hay on which farmers depend. Both Aden Brook Farms and Haybarn.com have issued warnings about the scams, which are familiar to those who have already been exposed, such as dating site users or eBay users.

The principle is well refined, and has been in use for some time on the Internet. On the buyer side, it involves an "overpayment" by a presumably trustable instrument, such as a certified check. International transactions are the worst. A "con" story is told, such as that the overpayment is for shipping, which the purchaser for some reason cannot pay directly, in international cases sometimes "currency issues."

In the case of hay, shipping can be as much as $5000 per container, notes Aden Brook Farms. Eventually the certified check turns out to be bogus, and by then the friendly farmer has forwarded the "shipping" via Western Union or some other means to the scam artist's network. The bank holds the farmer responsible for the bogus check, and the scam is complete. Until the bank calls, the farmer will still think he has both the hay and the money, since no shipping company ever showed up.

On the buyer side, standard practice is abused, according to Aden Brook Farms. Normally, they say, funds are sent "up front" to a hay supplier before shipment is made. Usually, this is to a familiar or known party, but in times of hay shortage due to drought, for example, a farmer might find a seller on a site such as Haybarn.com, and decide to take a risk. The farmer sends the money, and no hay ever appears.

The Internet is an unfortunate breeding ground for cynicism in many communities where trust has, in the past, been mostly a given. Hiding behind free email accounts and other deceptions, scam artists spread mistrust at the same time as they steal hard-earned cash from farmers and others.

Tips from Aden farms and others help identify important clues, such as a phone number with the wrong area code for the stated location, free email (Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail) or other non-company email, deals too good to be true or otherwise suspicious, and even behavior that sounds a lot more like boasting than business, which Aden Brook Farms suggests may be a sign of a very small operation trying to sound large. The company notes that over 4100 scams have been reported by farmers, and they have received 100 in the last year. Farmers should obtain information on scams and how to avoid them, and others who operate on a basis of trust but now use the Internet should become aware as well.

"Aden Brook Farms Warns Hay Buyers and Suppliers of Rampant Hay Scams", http://www.prleap.com/pr/102908/

http://www.adenbrookfarms.com

http://www.haybarn.com/main/scams.asp