A southeast Missouri company has unwittingly found itself in the midst of a scam.
The Better Business Bureau is alerting consumers nationwide to a sophisticated scam involving a fake online retailer impersonating a legitimate Missouri business, Cook Equipment & Trucking, based in Marble Hill.
Consumers from across the U.S. have reported losing more than $223,000 after attempting to purchase heavy equipment and farm machinery through fraudulent websites and Facebook Marketplace ads. Victims say they were ghosted after wiring money for equipment that never arrived. The losses include two excavators, two trailers and two skid steer loaders.
The real Cook Equipment & Trucking, a small business operating since 2010, confirmed it has no website and is not affiliated with any online sales.
The impersonators have registered three fake websites, the most recent on July 14, and continue to run deceptive ads on social media.
