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FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is alerting Kentuckians to a possible telemarketing pesticide scam.
According to the Better Business Bureau of Central and Eastern Kentucky, a rural Fayette County resident received a phone call recently from a telemarketer claiming to sell a weed killer, C-Lex, for use along farm fence rows. Similar scams using the same product have been reported in Iowa, Nebraska and, most recently, North Dakota.
“We take our role as a consumer protection and service agency very seriously,” Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Richie Farmer said. “We want to give citizens of the Commonwealth a heads-up so they are not taken advantage of by scammers.”
Barry Skipper, director of the KDA’s Division of Environmental Services, said C-Lex is not registered in Kentucky and believes the call was a scam. He warned consumers not to buy pesticides from telemarketers.
“Anyone being asked to buy pesticides over the phone should be very wary of the value of the product and the effectiveness of the pesticide itself,” Skipper said. Scammers sometimes attempt to sell common, cheap pesticides under a different trade name at a much higher price, Skipper said.
The KDA advises consumers to ask questions and take good notes when being solicited to buy pesticides over the phone. Before buying, consumers should find out:
• The product’s Environmental Protection Agency registration number;
• The product’s active ingredients and the percentages of each;
• The number of square feet or acres the product will cover;
• Complete directions for use of the product;
• The company’s name, address, and telephone number;
• The seller’s Kentucky license number.
The Division of Environmental Services, formerly known as Pesticide Regulation, regulates the sale, distribution, storage and application of pesticides in Kentucky.
To verify a pesticide applicator’s registration or report possible fraud, call the KDA toll free at 1-866-289-0001.
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