Adams County sheriff warns farmers about hay-sale scam
The sheriff’s office says fake online listings and fraudulent payments can leave hay sellers unpaid. It advises verifying who is paying before delivering a load.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is warning farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses about a hay-sale scam that can leave sellers unpaid.
In a Sept. 27 alert, the office described a scheme in which a scammer orders hay using stolen payment credentials, then advertises the same hay on Facebook Marketplace at a below-market price. A buyer pays the scammer, often through an app such as Zelle, and the scammer gives the buyer’s address to the farmer for delivery. The original payment may later be reversed or flagged as fraudulent, the office said.
The office advises sellers to be cautious with unfamiliar or out-of-town buyers and to verify who is making a payment before accepting a bank transfer, check or mobile-payment transfer. It recommends considering reputable escrow or identity-verified payment and invoicing platforms for new customers. A mismatch between the person paying and the person receiving the hay may be a warning sign.
Anyone who believes they have been scammed should preserve communications, advertisements, payment records and invoices, then report the incident to law enforcement, the office said.