Gardaí are investigating fraudulent activity in relation to a legitimate agricultural business in Co. Westmeath which was targeted by scammers.
Details of the name and address for the business, which sells machinery parts, are being used on a legitimate EU-wide machinery sales website, but by a fraudulent account.
On the sales website, under the details for the business based in Westmeath – whose owner did not post such information – there are a few advertisements for tractors, with prices ranging from £19,000-£48,500, with a UK email address linked as a contact detail.
The fraud first came to the Westmeath businessowner’s attention when they received a phone call from a customer enquiring to see a tractor for sale, which the business owner knew nothing about.
The caller had purchased from the Westmeath business before and thought the advertisement was suspicious, as the business does not sell tractors. It seems fraudsters stole the details of the bona fides Irish company to use for a money-making scam on the sales website.
The owner told Agriland that this could be happening to other companies and warned customers not to spend any money until they can physically see the machine.
The issue was reported to gardaí yesterday (Tuesday, August 13) and enquiries are ongoing.
Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) farm business committee chair, Bill O’Keeffe said that while such fraud has always been around, it may be more difficult to distinguish now.
“Farmers should always go the yard, check out the machine, and make sure they physically meet someone and receive physical paperwork,” O’Keefe said.
“Don’t make any online transactions without being very sure of who you are dealing with. If a deal seems to good to be true, then it probably is,” O’Keefe added.
O’Keefe said that this business is just one example, and it could be happening anywhere across the country.
He advised that businesses should keep an eye out for any unusual activity across other websites.
Gardaí advise that if somebody believes they have been a victim of fraud, they should always “err on the side of caution” and report the matter to a local garda station without delay.
For companies, gardaí advise that all fraudulent activity is reported, even if it is not successful to stop accounts being used in other incidents of a similar nature.