Colorado buyer loses thousands in website fraud while trying to buy horse in Florida

SARASOTA, Fla. - A Colorado man lost thousands attempting to buy nonexistent livestock from a fraudulent Florida vendor, sparking a multi-agency fraud investigation.

Fake Sarasota horse website

What we know:

According to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, the investigation started in July after a victim reported spending thousands of dollars attempting to purchase two horses from an online business operating as "Horse Adventures Sarasota."

Deputies said the buyer initially sent $5,000 and traveled to Sarasota to retrieve the horses, but was told the transaction could not proceed because the seller had a family emergency. SCSO said the man went back to Colorado empty-handed.

Detectives said the seller agreed to ship the horses for an additional $1,000 for transport. When the animals never showed up, the seller claimed the horses were stuck in Louisiana and demanded an extra $3,000 for delivery, according to the sheriff's office. 

Officials stated after suspecting fraud, the victim contacted SCSO. Investigators said they discovered the fraudulent website was using authentic Florida registration numbers and legitimate owner records to solicit cash for horses that were never real.

Detectives said they partnered with the Florida Attorney General’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to seize the website domain and dismantle the entire operation.

"This investigation highlights our agency’s commitment to protecting citizens and holding those who exploit unsuspecting victims accountable," said Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman.

Active search for suspects

What we don't know:

Investigators have not identified any suspects tied directly to the website operation.

Authorities have not revealed how many other people sent payments to the scam page or the total amount stolen across all transactions.

Protecting online livestock buyers

What you can do:

Detectives are actively pursuing leads and working to identify additional victims caught in the fraud ring.

Anyone who sent money to the scam website should contact Detective Vinopal at 941-861-4900.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, who outlined the investigation details in a public release, as well as Florida state law enforcement partners.