OMAHA, Neb. -- Authorities are investigating a case of missing meat in Omaha.
In the past few months, semi-trucks loaded with Nebraska beef were stolen in Omaha. Investigators aren't saying much about the case, but victims are speaking out to protect their product.
People in the meat industry said they think it's a kind of coordinated effort because there are serious security measures in place to get something like beef from producer to its destination.
However, Omaha police said three large scale cons -- with one con netting $170,000 in beef -- were reported in the last couple of weeks.
A broker, whose job is to track beef shipments from producer to destination, said a con man posed as a real life carrier and picked up a shipment from their Omaha office.
"We looked it up on this website, and everything looks legitimate," said the broker, who asked to remain unnamed. "Sunday, when the first drop was supposed to come off, they just quit answering their phones."
Omaha police investigators said that within the last few hours, they've learned that the con stretches farther than what they originally thought.
Beef brokers, meanwhile, are spreading the word because they want the seemingly sophisticated con to stop.
"We're a small business. We don't have a fraud department," the broker said.
In the past few months, semi-trucks loaded with Nebraska beef were stolen in Omaha. Investigators aren't saying much about the case, but victims are speaking out to protect their product.
People in the meat industry said they think it's a kind of coordinated effort because there are serious security measures in place to get something like beef from producer to its destination.
However, Omaha police said three large scale cons -- with one con netting $170,000 in beef -- were reported in the last couple of weeks.
A broker, whose job is to track beef shipments from producer to destination, said a con man posed as a real life carrier and picked up a shipment from their Omaha office.
"We looked it up on this website, and everything looks legitimate," said the broker, who asked to remain unnamed. "Sunday, when the first drop was supposed to come off, they just quit answering their phones."
Omaha police investigators said that within the last few hours, they've learned that the con stretches farther than what they originally thought.
Beef brokers, meanwhile, are spreading the word because they want the seemingly sophisticated con to stop.
"We're a small business. We don't have a fraud department," the broker said.