Police have received numerous reports of a person advertising hay bales on social media for a discounted price, the seller has taken an initial deposit for the fodder but has not delivered any product.
Police have received reports from the Mid North Coast, the Hunter Valley, the Southern Highlands, the Hills, and the Oxley, Nepean, and Port Stephens areas.
NSW Police’s Rural Crime Investigators have established Strike Force Woden to investigate reports of the fraud.
NSW Police Force State Rural Crime Coordinator, Detective Inspector Cameron Whiteside, urged farmers and landholders to take extra care when purchasing fodder, water and other supplies to get them through the drought.
“These are difficult times, and it’s disgusting to think anyone would seek to take advantage of people who have already been through so much,” Detective Inspector Whiteside said.
“I would encourage anyone buying supplies online to only deal with people and businesses that have proven to be genuine in the past."
“Where possible, it is best to only hand over money until the goods are in your possession, and of course, the age old saying applies – if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”
Detective Inspector Whiteside also appealed for anyone who thought they may have fallen victim to the scam to come forward and report it and contact Crime Stoppers on
