06/10/2026
⚠️ WARNING TO FELLOW BUSINESS OWNERS ⚠️
If you never read or share a post of ours that’s fine but please share this one!
I wanted to share a close call that happened to us this week in hopes it helps another business avoid a major loss.
On Monday, we received a call from a new customer wanting to purchase over $10,000 worth of specialty oil. We supply bulk products to customers regularly, so while it was a large order, it wasn’t out of the ordinary.
The customer paid over the phone with a credit card. The transaction approved, funds showed as deposited, and everything appeared legitimate.
The only problem? We didn’t have that much inventory on hand, so we placed an order and received the product the next day.
Then things got interesting.
Our SkyTrak is currently down waiting on injector pump parts. No problem, we have a skid steer to load with, right?
Wrong.
The skid steer wouldn’t start and ended up needing a starter. (When it rains it pours right) Frustrating at the time, but it delayed us from loading the order.
This morning, before the product ever left our yard, the payment was reversed and the funds were pulled back out of our account. The “customer” immediately stopped communicating.
It was a scam.
Had our equipment been working perfectly, we likely would have loaded over $10,000 in product that we never would have been paid for.
As a small business, a hit like that can be devastating.
Sometimes what feels like bad luck is actually a blessing in disguise.
We’ve since learned that other businesses in our area have been targeted and unfortunately weren’t as fortunate. We contacted the Sheriff’s Department, but there is very little that can be done after the fact.
Please be careful when dealing with large orders from new customers.
✅ Verify identities
✅ Be cautious with over-the-phone card payments
✅ Don’t assume deposited funds are fully cleared
✅ Trust your instincts when something feels off
If sharing this post prevents even one business from getting taken advantage of, it’s worth it.
Small businesses have enough challenges without criminals targeting them too. Please share to help spread the word.
