A scam involving what seemed to be a real farm equipment seller cost a Colorado farmer $20,000 and derailed plans for a long-awaited home.
Here's what to know
Steve Hunt, a 74-year-old from Calhan, said the backhoe he tried to buy never showed up.
According to 11 News, Hunt wired $20,000 to a site that used the name Platte Machinery Group.
"We stumbled across the exact backhoe we were looking for," Hunt said. "It was the price range we wanted, $20,000."
When the machine never arrived, Hunt said he kept communicating with the supposed seller and eventually drove to the Denver address shown on the website. "Got up there and found an empty lot," he told 11 News.
"It's gone," Hunt said of the money. "Deputy said as soon as the money hit the bank, it was immediately transferred out overseas."
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He said even his bank treated the payment as legitimate.
"They thought it was legit until I filed the claim," he told 11 News.
The website is now offline, and a phone call to a number posted with it could not be completed.
More background
The outlet reported that the Platte Machinery Group name resembled Platte Implement Co., a legitimate farm equipment business in South Dakota.
As they prepare to build on their 37-acre property, Hunt said he and his wife have been living in an RV.
"Me and the wife been dreaming about it for a long time," Hunt told 11 News. "... My build at this point is delayed five to seven years, maybe even longer depending on my finances."
What can be done?
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office said the case remains under investigation, and Hunt said he is repaying his bank.
"It hurts my heart that this happened," he told 11 News.
He is still hoping for a resolution.
"If anybody out there knows of or heard of Platte Machinery Group, they can get a hold of the sheriff's office and maybe we can get something done," he said, per 11 News.
Where can I learn more?
The stories below cover similar scams that can derail big plans.
• In Washington, residents lost $673,000 in three days to a driveway scammer demanding cash and gold.
• Buyers can miss vacant-land red flags with cheap property listings.
• In North Carolina, a man nearing retirement lost $753,000 in a "pig-butchering" crypto scam.
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