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As the harvest season continues in full swing in Latvia, the police call on farmers to beware of scams, LETA was informed by the State Police.
In previous years, the police have reported cases during the grain threshing season – in the middle and at the end of the summer, when persons pretending to be buyers of grain or other crops committed fraud.
Criminals usually use a similar scheme – when pretending to be a company, criminals turn to farmers individually or place purchase advertisements, offering to buy agricultural products at a price that is usually higher than the market price.
This gives the false impression that the transaction will be profitable. The fake buyer agrees with the seller that upon receipt of the grain will sign a bill of lading and payment will be made within the next few days. However, the product is not paid for either. The fraudsters then sell the proceeds of crime.
In order to build public confidence, fraudsters even set up businesses by forging documents and stamps.
For example, in last year’s harvest season, farmers were defrauded of agricultural products worth at least 100,000 euros. Both grain and other agricultural products have been defrauded to owners in various places in Latvia. It has already been reported that in previous years the State Police had detained several persons for these facts.
This year, the State Police has not yet received information about similar cases of fraud, but caution is still needed.
The State Police calls on farmers to make sure that the company offering to buy their products is on the Register of Enterprises and for how long. It’s also a good idea to check reviews for a particular business. On the other hand, it is recommended to ask the persons who have come to conclude the transaction to present an identity document.
The seller can also contact the company represented by the buyer to find out if this person really works there. Relying on abnormally advantageous buying or selling offers that do not correspond to the market price often carries the risk of falling victim to fraud.
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