Animal feed is hard to find and expensive in Alberta due to last summer’s drought and supply chain issues. This situation is leading to an increase in scams related to forage, theft and bad reviews.
Crimes against ranchers have become more common, said Corporal Lindsey Anderson, who is part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) livestock crime investigation team in Alberta.
We usually deal with NSF checks ie people issue checks that they know have no money in their bank accounthe explained.
He added that there has been an increased number of hay bale thefts.
Loss of trustworthiness
Melanie Wowk, president of Beef Producers of Alberta, warned group members about the proliferation of scams.
They got the wind that we needed animal food, that we were willing to pay quickly and with money to be earnedhe warned.
According to him, the rise in crime has led to a loss of confidence within the industry.
There has always been trust between people in the agricultural sectorshe said, recounting that her husband had been in business in the past with a handshake. Now there is no way to do that, you have to protect yourself.
Tips
Last month, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen warned breeders about scams that could affect them, one of which was linked to an Alberta company.
According to Lindsey Anderson, farmers need to know that if a supply of straw looks too good to be true, he probably is.
Before you offer to buy or sell a product, it’s best to put it in writing and gather as much information as possible from the person, such as the license plate number, he suggests.
He also advises making sure you have the goods in hand before handing over the money, and mark the straw bales with colored string so they can be easily identified in case of theft.
Source: Radio-Canada
