Horse Scam Alert: Code Red

ALERT!!

My site statistics tell me where people have been visiting from and yesterday we had a visit from Nigeria. Now, there could be some very sincere horse buyers from Nigeria, but, in fact, most internet scam seems to be done from that impoverished nation, so they were probably looking for people to con. I hope they haven't tried anything with you. Ryan's Rescues did report some funny business going on from advertising elsewhere, so the they aren't above scamming rescue farms.

Here is how the scam goes. They are in a hurry to buy the horse and they can't come look at it. They will send you a cashiers check (fake but looks real) to pay for the horse and the shipping, you are to cash it and pay the shipper when they come to get the horse. It takes your bank a few days to find out that the Nigerian cashier's check (or other distant place) is fake. The horse is gone and you have paid someone to haul it away.

I would not sell a horse to someone that can't come look at it or that I can't check out very carefully. If you think they are legit, and for some reason they can only send one check and you want to see what happens, tell them to send the money to the shipper and have them pay you in cash when they pick it up. It wouldn't hurt to take a photo of the guys hauling your horse off and get their license plate info if you have a bad feeling. Make sure you have the buyers home phone number too.

I bought a mule, sight-unseen, on the internet. Chester was in Minnesota and I was stuck in NM. I decided that I could trust the sellers (I had a vet from an adjacent county do a vet check) and I sent them a check that cleared before the shipping date. I paid the shippers separately. The sellers became good friends and we have kept in touch over the years. Positive things can happen, but better be alert when evil is afoot.