Omaha, Nebraska, April 28, 2026, 07:02 CDT
Midwest buyers are being warned after a Better Business Bureau probe found three consumers wired a total of $107,600 to what appeared to be a Sioux Falls-based scheme, while another fraudulent site mimicked a Nebraska company with years in business. The scams are hitting shoppers of pricey used equipment—a segment where purchases are regularly hashed out online and money moves via bank wire.
The timing here is key: these alleged scams don’t come off as your standard online frauds—they’re set up to mimic legitimate dealerships. According to BBB Midwest Plains, the Nebraska website went as far as using an actual company’s name and address, showcasing equipment from well-known brands like Caterpillar and John Deere. BBB logos appeared on the site, too, until the bureau reached out to the operator and the logos disappeared.
According to BBB, Digron Machinery Depot—listing a Sioux Falls address—was flagged on March 2 following consumer reports of wired payments for heavy equipment that never showed up. On Monday, Dakota News Now said Sioux Falls police had confirmed a case involving an out-of-state buyer’s attempt to buy a mini excavator.
The Nebraska case centers on a website impersonating Milton Brothers Implement of Friend, Nebraska. According to BBB, the genuine Milton Brothers Implement doesn’t operate a website and isn’t connected to the online business in question. It also no longer deals in machinery. BBB instead lists its legitimate work as trucking, and the business carries an A+ rating.
The BBB hasn’t found any financial victims in the Milton Brothers imposter scheme. Even so, the agency flagged the case to both the Saline County Sheriff’s Office and Nebraska Attorney General’s Office after the legitimate company was hit with phone calls and walk-ins from people convinced the fraudulent website was for real.
Losses are already piling up in Digron’s case. The company carries an F rating from BBB, which flagged its claimed Sioux Falls address as invalid—no verified physical site. According to Dakota News Now, South Dakota’s Consumer Protection Division has ordered the website to be taken down.
This isn’t some obscure corner of the industry—the heavy-equipment market in Sioux Falls is packed with established players. BBB’s local directory puts Vermeer High Plains and Pristine Machinery at the top with A+ scores, Iron Rush Motors gets an A-, and then there’s Digron, which sits at the bottom of the list with an F.
The warnings arrived just as another Ohio chapter of the BBB pushed its trust initiative. BBB of the Mahoning Valley named Sweet Memories Vintage Tees, Gordon Brothers Water, and Raphael’s School of Beauty Culture as recipients of its 2026 Torch Awards. The event is slated for May 21 at The Lake Club in Poland, Ohio.
The Canfield Fair Board of Directors picked up recognition from the Mahoning Valley BBB for civic leadership, while Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley Inc. earned honors in nonprofit excellence. BBB TrustBuilders, made up of Farmers National Bank, PNC Bank, Huntington Bank and WesBanco, sponsors the event.
Machinery scam sites can disappear and reappear before investigators catch up. The Milton Brothers website, for instance, was still live when BBB issued its April 23 warning. Police are still looking into Digron. Authorities advised victims to reach out to their banks, save any emails or payment records, and file reports with law enforcement and the BBB Scam Tracker.
BBB doesn’t mince words: double-check a seller’s address yourself, don’t just rely on a dealer’s logo—pull up the business on BBB’s site to confirm accreditation, and run a quick search for the business name alongside “scam” or “fraud” before you send any money. When it comes to expensive equipment, skipping these steps could mean losing six figures instead of just facing a hold-up. BBB
