Farmers and farm equipment buyers in Chattooga County are being urged to use extra caution when shopping for tractors and other agricultural equipment online as federal and state officials warn about increasingly sophisticated scams involving fake equipment dealerships.

The Federal Trade Commission issued a warning September 15 saying scammers are impersonating legitimate farm equipment businesses and advertising tractors and other machinery that either does not exist or does not belong to the seller.

The warning is especially relevant in rural agricultural communities such as Chattooga County, where farmers and landowners routinely shop for used tractors, implements and other equipment.

According to the FTC, a buyer may see an attractive tractor advertised on social media or find what appears to be a familiar equipment dealership through an internet search. After the buyer contacts the supposed dealership, the scammers may provide professional-looking purchase agreements and invoices.

The buyer is then instructed to send thousands of dollars, often through a wire transfer, as either a deposit or full payment. A delivery date may even be scheduled.

The tractor never arrives.

The FTC says scammers may stop communicating with the buyer or offer excuses, such as claiming there has been a problem with the delivery truck. By that point, recovering money sent by wire transfer can be extremely difficult.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has also warned Georgia farmers about the same type of scam. The department’s Law Enforcement Division said in July that it had received multiple reports involving fraudulent farm equipment sales.

Georgia investigators say criminals have used artificial intelligence and other technology to imitate legitimate dealerships, creating convincing websites, advertisements, emails and other communications. In some cases, the business being impersonated is a real farm equipment dealership that has no connection to the scam.

The problem has already resulted in significant losses.

Federal prosecutors say a Georgia-based investigation uncovered a scheme involving fictitious used farm equipment that victimized more than a dozen prospective purchasers around the country and resulted in losses exceeding $600,000.

One defendant was sentenced earlier this year and ordered to pay $679,100 in restitution. A second defendant who had fled prosecution was apprehended earlier this month and is being returned to the Southern District of Georgia to face federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

One of the biggest warnings for local buyers involves internet search results.

The FTC says scammers can purchase sponsored search advertisements that impersonate legitimate businesses. Those paid advertisements can appear near the top of search results, potentially directing a buyer to a fake website or telephone number.

Buyers should independently locate and verify a dealership’s official website and telephone number rather than relying solely on information contained in an advertisement.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture recommends that buyers personally visit a dealership whenever possible, inspect the equipment before purchasing it and use a secure method of payment. Buyers should also be especially cautious when someone insists on a wire transfer or electronic payment to an unfamiliar account.

Anyone who believes they have encountered one of these scams should immediately contact their financial institution and local law enforcement. Agricultural-related fraud can also be reported to the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division, while suspected scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.