Suppliers of agricultural goods in the west have been scammed out of a total of €15,000 in recent months.

Gardaí in the Mayo, Roscommon and Longford division are investigating a number of incidents where criminals are targeting agricultural suppliers with fake proof of payment for goods.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Mayo crime prevention officer Sergeant Seán Cunnane urged agricultural suppliers in the area to be vigilant of such scams.

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Trailer

Last week, an agricultural business in the Strokestown area of Co Roscommon was scammed out of €8,500 for a tri-axle cattle trailer.

The seller had advertised the trailer on DoneDeal. He was contacted by a buyer with a northern accent and agreed a price of €8,500 for the trailer.

The purported buyer sent a picture of a bank draft for that amount to the seller and arranged for another male to collect the trailer.

It was collected on 24 July. However, the money did not arrive and the seller is now at a loss.

Mats

An agri supplier in the Belmullet area of Co Mayo lost €6,000 in April for cow mats that were obtained through a similar scam.

A fake proof of payment was forwarded and the mats were collected. However, the money never came through, the goods were not returned and the seller is now at a loss.

Sergeant Cunnane is warning agri suppliers to consider the following when selling goods:

  • Know your buyer - conduct thorough background checks on potential buyers.
  • Secure payment methods - use secure and traceable payment methods such as bank transfers, credit cards or trusted escrow services. Avoid accepting personal cheques or cash from unknown buyers.
  • Require deposits - for large orders, require a deposit or partial payment upfront before shipping/collection of the goods.
  • Report suspicious activity - if you encounter suspicious behavior or believe you are the target of fraud, contact gardaí on 999. Sharing this information can help protect other sellers.