Fake Farmer Scam

Authorities across several states are warning of a bizarre new grift: the �fake farmer scam.� Unlike traditional scams that prey on ignorance of tech or banking, this one weaponizes people�s nostalgia for agriculture. Scammers posing as small-scale farmers set up booths at weekend markets, complete with plaid shirts, hay bales, and suspiciously shiny �farm tools� purchased from Home Depot the night before. Customers, eager to support �local agriculture,� are duped into buying produce allegedly grown with love and soil�though later testing reveals it was actually purchased in bulk from a discount grocery chain. One shopper in Kansas said she paid $15 for a jar of �artisanal honey� only to find the same brand at Walmart for $4. �They even left the barcodes on,� she said. The scammers often use elaborate backstories. One claimed to be a fifth-generation beet farmer fighting corporate seed monopolies�until a background check revealed he lived in a downtown condo with no more soil exposure than a houseplant on his balcony. Social media has only amplified the scheme. Fake farmers flood Instagram with sepia-toned images of �their land� (usually stolen stock photos) captioned with lines like, �Just harvested 2,000 heirloom carrots by hand, my wrists are crying.� The scam has grown so sophisticated that some even fake weather-related crop losses to explain inconsistent supply. �Sorry, hail destroyed the kale,� one posted while clearly vacationing in Cancun. Agricultural boards are scrambling to respond. Some markets now require proof of land ownership or actual dirt under fingernails before allowing participation. Still, shoppers remain divided. Some argue that as long as the produce is edible, who cares where it came from? Others feel deeply betrayed. �I wanted to support real farmers,� said one tearful customer. �Instead, I just supported a guy with Photoshop and a Costco membership.� For now, the only safe advice is: if the farmer�s overalls look freshly ironed, consider walking away. -- Bohiney Magazne bohiney.com