Cattle scams are getting worse, more sophisticated, and harder to spot and they're hitting both buyers and sellers. This week Lori and Taylor are joined by Katy Cowell, multimedia specialist with the Better Business Bureau Midwest Plains, to break down exactly what's happening in the Highland and mini Highland world, how to protect yourself before you send a single dollar, and what to do if you've already been hit.

From fake Facebook groups with hundreds of thousands of members to wire transfer fraud and AI-generated calf photos that look completely real, this episode is essential listening for anyone buying or selling livestock online.

Key Takeaways

Always reverse image search photos of animals before sending any money - scammers steal photos from real farms and there are two victims every time.

Search any seller name plus "BBB scam" before purchasing.

A free BBB business profile gives your farm an extra layer of verified credibility with buyers.

If you've already sent money, call your bank immediately - wire transfers can sometimes be stopped.

A Highland calf selling for $500 is a scam. Full stop.

Episode Highlights

Taylor shares how scammers stole photos of her children and husband and posted them as their own family and how Facebook's response was basically nothing.

Katy walks through a real 2024 case from Broken Bow, Nebraska where a legitimate mini Highland farm was impersonated and multiple buyers lost money.

The team breaks down the tells: fake commenting networks, groups with "adoption" in the name, pressure to send money fast, and why AI can now make a hamster look like a Highland cow.

Plus how to report scams via the BBB Scam Tracker and get your own free business profile.

Timestamps

00:00 — Welcome & why scams are the topic today
01:02 — How cattle scams work and who gets hurt
02:03 — BBB tips: stop, verify, reverse image search
03:16 — Facebook groups and how to tell the real ones from the scam ones
04:09 — BBB Scam Tracker: what it is and how to use it
05:17 — Taylor's story: her children's photos stolen and used by scammers
06:14 — How BBB vets complaints and protects legitimate farms
09:25 — What cattle scams look like in 2024 — the Broken Bow, Nebraska case
13:48 — How to pay safely: credit cards, wire transfers and what to avoid
16:34 — Payment red flags and what to do if you've already sent money
19:34 — The tells of a scam Facebook group
22:40 — Price is always a red flag — Highland calves don't sell for $500
25:09 — How to use the BBB Scam Tracker to research a seller
28:10 — Farm equipment auction scams: $250,000 in reported losses
33:00 — What new buyers get wrong about the mini Highland world
39:16 — Not every bull should stay a bull — the steering problem
47:19 — Where the Highland community reports scams today
48:13 — How to create a free BBB business profile for your farm

Report a scam or create your free farm profile at www.bbb.org/scamtracker

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Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/