"My hay was coming in great," states farmer and square dancing enthusiast Cecil Andrews. "Over yonder we've had the corn... When it comes to farming, I can tell you a lot, but I haven't the damndest idea of why I was approached about some fraud farm."
While bailing hay one day, Andrews was approached by an individual only described as "wearin' a hoodie and lookin' up to no good". He turned off his tractor and walked over to the individual who was leaning on the fence watching him work.
"He told me his name was AvidCon9432 and he was interested in farming. I told him the name AvidCon was a horrible name for any farming folk. Then I asked him what he was interested in growing. He said he had heard that there were farms for fraud. I looked around and then back at him and told him there was no fraud here." Disappointed, AvidCon9432 left the Andrews farm and Cecil went back to his bailing.
"What is concerning about this is that Cecil Andrews is not the only farmer being approached by criminal elements interested in fraud farming," states FraudWit fraud news correspondent Gina Cruz. "Farmers across many different crops and livestock are being asked about where the fraud farms are. What they don't realize is that a fraud farm is actually an operation that criminals make to scale up their fraud attacks. Why have manual processes when you can create automated ones that are far more damaging. This extends their attack and makes it harder for the good guys to counter."
In addition to those visiting actual farms in hopes to learn how to fraud farm, criminals are also going virtual. There has been a recent popularity resurgence in the video game Farming Simulator because the small time criminals want to get better. Many however, have found the game both interesting and engaging, and are actually looking at becoming legit farmers.
"This could actually be an opportunity for agricultural to flourish. Say what you will about those committing fraud, but they are resourceful. Applying that to the farming industry could be just what we need," reflects Cecil Andrews with a piece of straw in his mouth. "Even so, I don't think that AvidCon guy could make it in this industry."
The sentiment that criminals should give up their profession in favor of farming has picked up popularity in recent months. Farmfresh Against Fraud Farms (FAFF) is a recent non-profit formed by farmers who wanted to get word out about how the noble profession of farming as opposed to fraud and fraud farms. Unfortunately, this in of itself has led to controversy as a designer of a poster decided to use John Deere coloring for 'Farm' and Case IH (International Harvester) coloring for 'Fraud Farm'. FAFF declined to comment on the coloring, instead reemphasizing that it is really just about getting the message to fraudsters that they should turn into farmers.
