Gardaí have advised that extra caution is needed if sellers ask for money to be sent to PO boxes or money transfer companies rather than bank accounts. This advice came as a number of machinery scams have been detected in recent weeks and months.
In one case, a tractor was advertised at an attractively low price, with a UK number for farmers to contact. It transpired that the photograph in the fraudulent advert had been taken from the website of a legitimate tractor dealer, without him knowing.
Gardaí have advised that no personal, financial or security information be given to any person or company unless the buyer themselves is satisfied that they are genuine. What may sound like a professional and well-intentioned sale often can be the very opposite.
Advice from the FTMTA to machinery dealerships
For all card not present sales, the following details must be obtained:
Minimise the risk of fraud by considering these points:
If you become suspicious of a customer, take your time checking them out. If you are not fully comfortable with them, don’t proceed with the sale.