Special ranger explains scam targeting East Texas ranchers

An East Texas Ranger has a warning for ranchers and farmers, be on high alert when conducting business online. A special Ranger with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle-raisers Association says a scam has been attempted on at least one East Texas rancher. Ranger Larry Hand is hot on the trail of suspects in yet another attempt to victimized East Texas farmers and ranchers. "The scamming operations have been going on for decades. The type of scams have moved into the ranching-agricultural industry," he says. Not cattle rustling as we've seen in the past, but a clever ruse using social media. "These folks looking to scam others, are diving into those directories those platforms," Hand says. Posturing as legitimate businessmen the scammers target ranchers, trying to purchase livestock, equipment, even hay. But there's always a catch. “Negotiating the price, sending money to the ranchers but they always send more money than what the negotiated price was. They will ask for these excess moneys to be sent to a third party. When it goes through the banking system it is bogus. A stolen check. They’re out the money,” Hand says. He says thousands of dollars have been stolen from the ranchers. In other cases they sell inferior livestock claiming its prime breeding stock...MORE