Officials are warning of what they say is a fake business, claiming to be from Salina, ripping people off.
The Better Business Bureau is warning about Pro Equip Agricultural & Construction. The agency says its a fraudulent operation that has stolen $29,800 from three confirmed victims.
Salina Police tell KSAL News they have assisted a couple outside agencies, including one out of New York State, with requests on this. It is a fictitious site with malicious intent. They are using Salina addresses and photos, most likely obtained through sights such as Google Earth/Street View, to portray themselves as a real business. There is no indication that anyone locally is involved with this site.
The scam website remains active as of Thursday afternoon at https://proequipac.com/.
BBB investigators confirmed with the City of Salina the company’s listed address of 362 Smithers St is a vacant lot.
City officials report receiving multiple calls about the fake business over the past two weeks. In one case, a victim’s daughter called to check on her father’s purchase and was told the equipment he had supposedly bought was still available for sale.
How the scam works:
- Scammers demand payment exclusively by wire transfer
- When one victim offered to pay cash in person, they refused and insisted on wire transfer only
- Equipment is never delivered
- The same equipment is advertised to multiple buyers simultaneously
Red flags to watch out for:
- Wire transfer or cryptocurrency payment requirements
- Refusal of in-person transactions
- Below-market prices
- Unverifiable business locations
- High-pressure sales tactics
BBB’s advice for avoiding fake equipment scams:
- Never wire money to unverified sellers
- Check businesses at BBB.org before purchasing
- Verify addresses independently
- Insist on seeing equipment in person
- Research market prices
What to do if you’ve been scammed:
- Contact local law enforcement immediately
- Report it to BBB at www.bbb.org/scamtracker
- File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov
Contact your bank if you wired funds or paid by credit card_ _ _
