East Central Texas News

ATHENS – As the coronavirus crisis is being used by scammers to find new ways of stealing from innocent victims, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association officials are now warning cattle raisers they may be targeted for thefts and scams.

“Economic and industry distress always increases the number of desperate people that will take fraudulent, dishonorable and criminal actions,” Scott Williamson, executive director of law enforcement.

Williamson said that con artists and scammers will look to take advantage of those who are motivated by desperation, fear or even simply the potential to make a quick dollar. Whether in a rush to sell stock before prices fall or to raise cash reserves, or looking to buy stock while prices are low, the situation invites dishonest people to take advantage, he said.

Williamson was recently contacted by someone who had fallen for just such a scam. After paying for a truckload of cows, the complainant discovered that the cows that arrived were not what he had been told to expect.

“This gets especially dangerous because your perception or agreements over the phone do not likely predicate a criminal charge or investigation,” Williamson said. “Cattle raisers have weathered a lot of storms over the years, and we’ll weather this one, too. But in the meantime, be extra careful.”

Sellers and buyers are encouraged to work with established operations, such as the Athens Commission Co. If nothing else, Henderson County AgriLife Extension Agent Spencer Perkins advised buyers to at least inspect any cattle they plan to purchase before making the purchase.

The Athens Commission Co. has been declared an essential business, and while customers must practice social distancing, the sale barns remain in operation.

There are additional steps individuals can take to avoid fraud, according to the Cattle Raisers Association, such as refusing checks or cashier’s checks for more than the amount agreed to for the sale. A scammer may provide such a check, then request the difference in case, using the scam as a way to make money off of a check that is going to bounce when the seller attempts to cash it.