For trying to buy a tractor on Facebook by a crook who allegedly recovered the money via MoneyGram in Togo, a couple from Amherstburg, Canada, lost $3,000 (over 1,300,000 F CFA).

Eddie and Susan Strickland found the tractor on Marketplace and thought it was a good deal. Indeed, the seller allegedly told them by email that she was in charge of a real estate sale and needed the money for her. The tractor is expected to be shipped to Toronto. To do this, the family will complete a $3,000 transaction via MoneyGram. They obtained a receipt containing a code that they would give to the person who delivered the tractor had to recover the funds.

The couple became suspicious and contacted MoneyGram, but learned that the money had been recovered. MoneyGram, sent a letter to the victims, saying that the seller had the code when the money was recovered in Togo on February 28, 2023. According to the MoneyGram International Resolution Insurance Department, “when an agent is presented with an ID that meets our photographic requirements and the correct reference number is provided, MoneyGram is contractually bound to release the funds.”