How a Sophisticated Credit Card Scam Hit Utah Sod Farms — And How We Stopped It (With Help from a True Hero)

Kirk Harris
3 days ago
3 min read

How a Sophisticated Credit Card Scam Hit Utah Sod Farms — And How We Stopped It (With Help from a True Hero)

In the turf and landscaping industry, we work hard to deliver quality products and service to our customers across Utah. Unfortunately, sophisticated fraudsters are increasingly targeting farms and small businesses like ours with credit card scams for the last 4 years. Last week, our team at All American Sod / Willowwood Turf caught not one, but multiple attempts — and thanks to quick action and an outstanding partner David Kinney, we turned the tables on the scammers while helping another local farm recover from the scam.

What Happened

A foreign fraudster (or group) using stolen credit cards and high-quality fake Utah driver’s licenses contacted us under two different names: “Ted Johnson” and “Manuel Morgan”. Both identities used the same Fake DL number (324552431) and date of birth, with different addresses in the West Haven and Kearns areas. They placed orders for large quantities of sod to be delivered to a West Haven address.

The scam followed a classic triangulation pattern:

A West Haven homeowner had posted on Facebook looking for the best price on sod.
The fraudster(s) reached out to him via fake profiles/pages (including ones appearing as Silverline Structures and Manuel Construction), offering a “great deal” with cash payment on delivery (~$1,300).
They then used stolen cards (Capital One Quicksilver and Wells Fargo Visas) to order from us and other farms, planning to collect cash from the homeowner while the sod farm is forced to absorbed the later chargeback.

Phone numbers used included 430-287-2206 (tracing to Royal Oak, MI) and 404-770-3111 (linked to the fake construction supplier). One attempt even included multiple card numbers and expiration dates.

How We Caught It and Helped Others

Our team flagged the suspicious orders early due to mismatched phone/area codes, fake ID details, and other red flags. We immediately canceled the deliveries to protect our business but proceeded to gather information so we could catch the criminals and called our Merchant Services provider representative David Kinney at The Payment Experts 385-249-8031 who then went far beyond the call of duty, driving 6 hours mulitiple times to stop the fraudster:

He personally visited the delivery address and spoke with the homeowner protecting him from potential liens, double charges, and criminal charges.
Helped coordinate legitimate payment so another local sod farm that did get scammed and later delivered to the homeowner could recover their funds.
Helped Reverse the fraudulent charges.
Coordinated communication with Law Enforcement.
Assisted in setting up a potential sting when the scammer called demanding a cash deposit into a foreign account.
Put the fear of life and charges into the fraudster.

The fraudster showed up in spirit (via phone) after the delivery but backed off when confronted by David Kinney. No one lost money, and another scam was thwarted.

A Big Thank You to David Kinney

Dave has helped our business more than once — not just with fraud protection, but with honest, low-cost merchant services that save us thousands in processing fees every year. He truly cares about protecting his clients and treats us like family. In an industry where many processors are faceless corporations, Dave stands out as someone who will go the extra mile to protect you.

If you’re a business owner in Utah (or anywhere) looking for reliable merchant services, payment processing, and real fraud support, I cannot recommend The Payment Experts and David Kinney highly enough. Call or text him at 385-249-8031. He’s a true partner who has your back.

Warning to Other Businesses

Watch for:

Out-of-state phone numbers on local orders.
Fake IDs with mismatched details.
Buyers pushing cash-on-delivery after contacting you via Facebook Marketplace or similar.
Always ask for Drivers Licenses, that match the name and address.

Warning to Other CUSTOMERS

Always support your local businesses.
Always verify local addresses.
Remember you could be back charged or criminally charged for participation.
Be willing to pay the going rate. Businesses work hard to provide you with great products.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is fraud.

If something feels off, stop the order, verify, and report it. Patterns like this help law enforcement catch these rings.

We’re grateful this one ended well thanks to teamwork across farms and with Dave Kinney. Stay vigilant out there!

All American Sod / Willowwood Turf Richfield, Utah Serving Utah with quality turf and landscape supplies.

How a Sophisticated Credit Card Scam Hit Utah Sod Farms — And How We Stopped It (With Help from a True Hero)