Hackers hijack the website of Diamond S Quarter Horses in Benton, scamming buyers across the country with fake sales.
Highlights
- Diamond S Quarter Horses’ website compromised, resulting in fraudulent horse sales.
- Owner Alice Smith discovers the scam after victims arrive to claim nonexistent horses.
- Scammers demanding payments through Venmo, causing significant losses and confusion.
- Better Business Bureau offers advice for businesses and consumers to avoid similar scams.
Alice Smith, the proprietor of Diamond S Quarter Horses, faced a shocking realization last year when a man arrived to collect a horse she hadn’t sold. The conversation revealed that her business’s website had been hijacked and used to list fake horse sales under her company’s name and address. Over the year, this pattern continued, with buyers from across the nation visiting her farm in Arkansas, misled by the hacked site.
The Extent of the Scam
Victims, including one from Texas who paid $850 via Venmo, drove long distances only to find the sales were non-existent. Despite Smith’s efforts, including filing police reports and contacting the attorney general’s office, the scam persists. The scammers, when confronted by Smith’s daughter-in-law, callously justified their actions as punishment for buyers who refused to pay upfront.
Better Business Bureau Weighs In
Cara Carlin from the BBB identifies these incidents as ‘Pet Scams’, common across various animals and pets, particularly rare and purebred species. Carlin emphasizes the importance of contacting law enforcement and recommends reporting to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the BBB scam tracker for broader awareness.
Preventative Measures and Consumer Advice
To safeguard against such threats, the BBB suggests implementing two-factor authentication, consulting IT professionals, and maintaining close contact with domain providers. Businesses impacted by hacking should promptly inform their customers through various communication channels.
For Consumers
Carlin advises against upfront payments for unseen animals, stressing the importance of verifying the animal’s existence in person before making any financial commitments.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities present in online transactions and the need for vigilance among both consumers and business owners in the digital marketplace.
