Farmers alerted after tractor scammer reappears on eBay
© Adobe Stock A sophisticated tractor scam has returned to retailing platform eBay after the same fraudulent advertisement snared 18 farmers last year.
The listing, which appears to have been posted by a compromised seller account, shows a 2006 John Deere 6620 tractor in “superb condition” for £8,999 – several thousand pounds below its market value.
The fraudulent eBay advert
This comes less than 18 months after Farmers Weekly revealed the devastating fallout of last year’s scam, which was posted to a number of compromised seller accounts, with listings showing in various locations across the country.
See also: More eBay tractor scam victims tell us their stories
Simon Lane fell victim to the fraud last year, and contacted Farmers Weekly when he noticed that it had recently resurfaced.
“The scammers are so clever – they make everything look like you are dealing with PayPal,” Mr Lane said.
“They use something called PayPal ‘pay at delivery’, which I looked into and registered for. I later received an invoice that looked like it had been sent from eBay, containing a PayPal button in it. It looked very authentic with all the correct fonts and logos, and it even had a working link to the tractor advertisement.”
“When you realise that your £9,000 has left your bank account it is the most horrible feeling – I well and truly lost my money for over 18 months – I only received it back from the bank two months ago.”
Mr Lane reported the reappearance of the fraudulent account to eBay last Thursday (18 August), but the listing has yet to be removed from the site. It can be found under item number 284932087174.
Farmers Weekly has contacted eBay for comment. A representative said:
“We’re very sorry to hear about the experiences of your readers. It is essential that when purchasing any type of vehicle on eBay, buyers view it in person before handing over any money.
“We take reports of fraud extremely seriously and we’d strongly recommend that if one of your readers do experience fraud, they report it to eBay, Action Fraud, and their local police force immediately. We have teams dedicated to fraud prevention and law enforcement liaison, and they can investigate reported sellers and provide evidence to police as requested.
“We are investigating this seller and will take the appropriate action if we find any evidence of fraud, including liaising with the relevant police force.”
Top tips to avoid being the next victim
Farmers should exercise great caution when buying used machinery, as a “cost-effective solution” can turn out to be a very costly mistake, warns rural insurer NFU Mutual.
Trade in agricultural vehicles and equipment has become big business for organised criminal gangs who are selling online under seemingly bona fide accounts.
NFU Mutual recommends following these steps:
- If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Check the market value and find a legitimate reason for the price being low
- Check the seller’s contact details – address and telephone number – are valid
- Be suspicious of sellers offering to meet half way at a lay-by or services – it is much better to visit their home or business premises
- As you would with a car, give the vehicle a thorough inspection and test drive
- Check that important, identifiable features such as serial numbers haven’t been scratched away, for example on trailers or quad bike frames
- Always check the documentation related to the machinery or vehicle
- Pay a small fee for an HPI (hire purchase investigation) check to tell you if the vehicle has been stolen or damaged, is subject to an insurance claim or has outstanding finance.