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Fake tractors, skid steers, and excavators are costing consumers thousands of dollars and threatening the reputation of a Connecticut business. Bob Wolff, owner of Woodbury Tractor, says in less than two-months’ time hundreds of victims have called, and some have even shown up at his door looking for the vehicles and equipment they purchased online and paid for through a wire transfer.
In reports to BBB’s Scam Tracker, consumers say a company called Case IH Agriculture Woodburry is using Woodbury Tractor’s physical address on its website. Many in the nearly dozen reports we’ve received say they responded to a Facebook ad.
“People feel like because they’re seeing it on Facebook that the ads have been vetted. I think they get a false sense of security from that. It’s actually the opposite,” Wolff pointed out.
Jay Marion of Florida said that he found Case IH Agriculture Woodburry though an online search.
“My initial reaction was I do my due diligence, and I still got caught. I still wound up being one of those people who lose money to an online scam even though I took my time to research things. I didn’t go through social media and I didn’t trust social media and I still got caught. I still got burned over $8,000,” Marion told BBB serving CT.
Mike Liberty, who lives in upstate New York, said he also lost $8,500 after trying to purchase a tractor that Case IH Agriculture Woodbury advertised on Facebook. After wiring money to Case IH Agriculture Woodburry, all of the victims report the seller disappearing without delivering their tractors.
“No one ever called. Number stopped working. Tried all three and they were blocked. Got through immediately on this wife’s phone. My heart just sank. My wife was livid. You go with good intentions and thinking everything is up and up; all the paperwork looked legitimate. It makes me gun shy because I look out there and see other tractors for sale and it seems like the same set-up,” said Liberty.
Wolff pointed to dozens of fake ads for farm equipment on Facebook Marketplace and said some of Case IH Agriculture Woodburry’s website appears to be stolen from Woodbury Tractor’s old website. He said he's found a handful of other websites that look similar, some with the same contact information:
https://denverequipmentsale.com/
proequipsales.com
groundheavymachinery.com
https://ruralagritechequipment.com/
Sometimes prospective buyers take the extra step to call Wolff and he's able to intercept the transaction. Recently, a bank teller was on the other line when he picked up the phone.
“We’re afraid to miss a phone call. If we missed the bank teller’s phone call the other day he might have sent the wire transfer. It’s pins and needles," said Wolff.
However, Wolff often has to be the bearer of bad news to the customers who call or drive up, looking for their missing farm equipment.
“It’s an awful feeling. I feel like I’m apologizing to people for something I haven’t done, but it’s out of empathy. I feel horrible for these people. People who buy these tractors are good honest people who like to do work with their hands. They scrape together the money and they won’t be able to buy another one. It just tears your heart out," said Wolff.
With victims coming forward from a dozen states, the case has gotten the attention of the U.S. Government. The Secret Service's Cyber Fraud Task Force is now investigating.
How the Scam Works
The following information was provided to BBB Serving CT by Secret Service investigators
The scam is currently being perpetrated through search engine ads and Facebook sponsored ads that redirect to an imposter or fraudulent website listing items well below market value.
The victim interested in purchasing item(s) is contacted by the seller who goes by the names Jay, Robert, or Christopher, but may use other aliases as well. The seller uses high pressure sales tactics and may request the victim to quickly wire money after receiving what looks like a contract to sign through the DropboxSign service.
The instructions on how to wire funds list an illegitimate LLC created with names in an attempt to lend credibility to the transactions. The supposed business is often located in a different state than the consumers targeted with these fraudulent advertisements. Consumers should be wary of businesses that are newly registered, particularly within the past 6 months.
BBB tips to avoid vehicle and equipment seller scams:
- Be wary of too-good-to-be-true prices
- Pick up a vehicle yourself whenever possible
- Call a business and ask if you can see the car in person
- Resist high-pressure tactics urging quick action
- Use secondary sources to research a business’ legitimacy
- Avoid sharing personal information with unknown sources
- Look up a business's registration on the Secretary of the State's website.
Know the red flags of vehicle and equipment seller scams:
- The price is significantly below market value
- Owner cites an overly personal reason they need to get rid of a vehicle
- A seller will not allow you to see the vehicle and insists upon vehicle delivery
- Money must be sent to a third-party recommended by seller
Report scams in detail to the FBI's Internet Criminal Complaint Center IC3.gov and BBB's Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker.
Learn More
BBB Investigation: How impostors, stolen data, and fake services cost businesses billions