Category · 1 case file
Heavy Equipment scam websites
Excavators, skid steers, loaders, and attachments listed at auction prices with fake escrow portals.
- Case files
- 1
- Reported losses
- $48,000
How heavy equipment scams are usually run
Heavy equipment fraud targets contractors who buy remotely as a matter of routine. Listings copy photos and specifications from completed auction results, then quote a price near the auction hammer figure to look like a liquidation deal. The operator is offered a fake escrow or inspection portal, sometimes on a domain that mimics a real auction house, and told the machine ships from a port or yard several states away. Losses in this category tend to be the largest because a single excavator invoice can exceed six figures.
Category-specific checks before you pay
- Match the serial number on the data plate against the manufacturer's dealer network and any open service campaigns.
- Refuse any escrow, inspection, or transport company introduced by the seller; select and phone your own.
- Compare the quoted price against recent auction results for the same model year and hours before going further.
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