ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KFVS) – The Better Business Bureau says a sophisticated scam involving a fake online retailer is impersonating a legitimate Heartland business.

According to the BBB, scammers are impersonating Cook Equipment & Trucking, based in Marble Hill, which does not have a website or online sales.

The BBB says customers from across the U.S. have been tricked out of more than $223,000.

Here’s how the reported scam works: customers attempt to purchase heavy equipment and farm machinery through fake websites and Facebook Marketplace ads. Victims say they were ghosted after wiring money for the equipment that never arrived.

The following is the list of victims:

$45,000 – Oak Hills, California (skid steer loader)

$32,000 – Hancock, Michigan (excavator)

$29,500 – Amanda, Ohio (trailer)

$29,000 – Greenville, North Carolina (trailer)

$28,000 – Eastman, Wisconsin (skid steer loader)

$31,000 – Des Moines, Iowa (excavator)

$29,000 – Blue, Arizona (skid steer)

The BBB said the impersonators have registered three fake websites, with the most recent on July 14, 2025, and continue to run the fake ads on social media.

To avoid becoming a scam victim, the BBB urges customers to research the business, be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true and to verify websites before sharing any personal information.

Those who do fall victim to a scam can report what happened to the BBB, their state attorney general’s office, the FTC, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Victims are also advised to notify the social media platform where the fraud was discovered.

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