Email Scam Artists Target Hay Growers

What To Watch Out For To Avoid Hay Purchase Scams.

Back when hay used to be sold over a cup of coffee and a handshake, hard cash changed hands when the trailer was loaded. In the new era of email and money orders, things get a little more complicated.

In the last several years, con artists have developed some tricky schemes to separate a hay grower from his hard earned money, and in some cases, his hay as well.

The most common scams involve fraudulent checks or money orders. Some of the fakes are so good, banks have cashed them before discovering the fraud. The smart move here, though, is to hold any deliveries or pick ups until the funds have cleared the bank.

More complex schemes involve the scam artist sending money orders in amounts larger than the cost of the hay. The scammer then asks the grower to send money to a hauler who is an accomplice to the scam. The grower sends his check to the hauler, who, of course, never shows up.

The Hay Barn, is an internet classified ad site for hay, hay equipment, and haying services. It helps buyers and sellers across the globe arrange sales, and it has a page of details on current scams, and a listing of known scam artists.

The site lists several clues that you might be dealing with a scammer:

• Offering payment by cashier's check or money order only.
• Insisting on paying more than you're asking.
• Asking you to send cash on to a 3rd party, such as the hay shipper
• Poor spelling and odd word choices (not a native English speaker)
• Lack of knowledge or interest in the hay itself
• Unusual name, unusual e-mail address
• Refusing to speak by phone; insisting on corresponding by e-mail only

Treat any transactions that follow these patterns suspiciously, and insist on having money in hand before loading the trailer.

Growers who do fall victim to scammers should contact the Sheriff's Department immediately.