The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s National Anti-Scam Centre has recently posted warnings for farmers on social media, focusing on hay bale scams.
Scammers advertise hay for sale and ask for a deposit, with the balance payable in cash on delivery. But the hay never arrives and the scammer stops all communication.
While the recent trend focuses on hay for sale, other agricultural related products may be referenced in similar scams.
The ACCC says never pay money to someone you only know through social media.
If you’re making an online purchase, use secure payment methods such as PayPal or credit card.
If you’ve transferred money or shared financial information, contact your bank immediately, and help others by reporting scams to Scamwatch.
According to NASC, in 2023, scams where contact occurred via social media resulted in the second highest volume of reported losses, increasing by 16.5 per cent from 2022 to $93.5 million.
The ACCC says scammers set up fake profiles on social media, messaging platforms and apps. They pretend to be from the government, a real business, employer, investment firm, or even a friend, family member or romantic interest.
Scammers can also learn a lot about you from details you share on your social media accounts.
The ACCC says they create quizzes or posts designed to deceive you into sharing personal information. They use this information to guess your account passwords or target you with other scams.
Visit the ACCC’s Scamwatch website to find out more, at: scamwatch.gov.au