Revealed: The 13 farm machinery scam websites stealing millions from Aussies
Details of more than 10 active online farm machinery scam websites have been revealed as Aussie farmers continue to be caught out by sophisticated thieves.
More buyers have come forward, with a Mornington Peninsula farmer recently losing $21,000 to a tractor scam.
Richard Buriss, from Balnarring, said he was scammed by so-called Devon Farming in April.
Mr Buriss said he was frustrated the Devon Farming website was still online even after he had reported the scam to Report Cyber-crime.
“It is galling to see, and it is rubbing salt in the $21,000 wound, that these scammers are still online,” he said.
“They are still there with the same address, same phone number and same bank account details.
“Why can’t they shut them down?”
Mr Buriss is in his mid-70s and works and lives on his property at Balnarring.
He said he spoke to the scammers on the phone while organising what he thought was a purchase. The online thieves had set up a sophisticated operation, posing as a legitimate company, he said.
Even after being reported, some scammers continue to operate after redesigning their website, changing their name but keeping the same online address.
As more and more stories emerge of scam victims losing thousands of dollars, The Weekly Times has compiled a list of more than 10 machinery scam websites that are active or have been recently active:
13 farm machinery scams to watch out for:
www.ainsliefarms.com – Ainslie Farms
https://www.all-states-machinery.com – All States Machinery
www.altoequipment.com – Alto Equipment
www.auheavymachinery.com – AU Heavy Machinery
www.btfarmingltd.com – B&T Farming
https://bigred-tractors.com – Big Red Tractors
www.blandequipment.com – Bland Equipment
www.boramachinery.com – Bora Machinery
www.brheavyequipment.com – BR Heavy Equipment
https://devonfarmmachinery.com – Devon Farming
www.kymachineryltd.com – KY Machinery
www.plantconstructions.com – Plant Constructions
www.sandalwoodequipment.com – Sandalwood Equipment
In the past 12 months, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s annual Targeting Scams report showed Australians lost more than $1.5 million to scammers targeting the agriculture industry.
Scamwatch received 313 tractors and other agricultural machinery scam reports in the past 12 months, totalling $1.4m.
The Weekly Times last month reported fake company Big Red Tractors was running an online tractor scam claiming it was based in the small northern Victoria town of Cohuna.
Earlier this year Western District farmers Katherine and Greg Stephens lost $17,000 in an online farm machinery scam through fraudulent seller All States Machinery.
Melbourne-based Andy Knight also lost $13,000 after he tried to purchase a secondhand tractor from All States Machinery too.