The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries is warning livestock producers and buyers about fraudulent social media accounts impersonating legitimate cattle operations and advertising animals for sale.
According to the department, recent incidents have involved fake profiles offering heifers for sale under the names of legitimate cattle businesses.
In some cases, buyers traveled to collect cattle they believed they had purchased, only to discover that the legitimate operation had no knowledge of the transaction. State officials said the fraudulent activity has extended beyond Alabama.
“Producers and buyers must remain diligent, verify who they are doing business with and take the necessary steps to ensure transactions are legitimate before purchasing,” Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate said. “Protecting our livestock producers and buyers is critical to keeping the integrity of our beef industry strong and resilient.”
The department urged prospective buyers to verify sellers’ contact information, request references and independently confirm that an operation is legitimate before sending money or traveling to collect livestock.
Buyers should also use caution when making financial transactions and independently verify the seller and cattle operation before making a purchase.
Agriculture officials warned that scammers may use artificially generated images that resemble actual livestock. Warning signs can include distorted faces, uneven legs, missing tails, irregular ears or nostrils, and fencing, grass or barns that appear warped or repeated.
Images that appear unusually polished, have blurry edges around the animal or appear in listings from multiple locations may also indicate fraud.
Officials said legitimate listings should ordinarily provide context beyond a single photograph, including images of the herd, facilities or handling areas. Brands, ear tags, coloring and other identifying characteristics can also help buyers determine whether the advertised cattle exist and belong to the purported seller.
The department did not say how many incidents have been reported, identify the social media platforms involved or disclose how much money buyers may have lost.
ADAI is asking agriculture departments, farm bureaus, cattlemen’s associations and other agricultural organizations to help distribute the warning.
Suspected livestock fraud may be reported to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Rural Crimes Unit at 334-288-8328 or the Alabama Securities Commission at 334-242-2984.
