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 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,568 |
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Valued Member
United States
134 Posts |
In the past number of weeks I have been called by two friends who are convenience store owners and one friend who is a gas station owner to look at 'silver' coins they have purchased from a lady. After viewing the video from the first three, it is clearly the same woman. It has been brought to my attention that this same woman has 'hit' a number of other local stores selling her fake coins. What she is selling to uninformed owners and employees are what appear to be early or 'first wave' Chinese fakes (first ones from the 80s) Morgan and Trade dollars and fake bullion rounds. These incidents have occurred over a course of the last 60 days. The woman is between 50 and 55 years old. White. About 5'6. Dirty blond, shoulder length curled hair. Always wearing the same green Michigan State University sweater and coat (attire may change now that the weather has gotten warmer). She has been seen in several different vehicles, but is always alone. She tells the same story over and over: Asks if there is a local coin shop as she has coins to sell. Then offers the owner/employee 12 silver dollars for $100. All of the people that have been taken thus far have not called the police. I'm assuming more out of embarrassment. Nonetheless, if you know any small business owners in the Royal Oak, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Clawson, Madison Heights, Oak Park areas of South East Michigan, please give them a 'heads-up'. Cheers. |
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Pillar of the Community
Korea, Republic Of
1881 Posts |
Very scary scammers out there these days!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1804 Posts |
Matt........... Quote:
Very scary scammers out there these days! Get a rope. |
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Valued Member
United States
355 Posts |
Who would actually buy silver from someone who walks into a convenient store....in Detroit?!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
595 Posts |
Ouch! What a shame. I hate to hear about this in the area where I grew up.
Unfortunately, this person has probably hit many other businesses that are unknown because the victim doesn't know that they are a victim and has not reported anything.
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Valued Member
 United States
134 Posts |
It is very sad. Lesson(s) learned, but still, these are good, hard working small businessmen who contribute to our communities... so it really ticks me off. Not only as a numismatist, but as a person.
These guys are not 'coin guys'. Put something they've never seen before, with a date from the 1800's under their faces. Have an 'honest face' yourself.... and one can see how it happens. I've taught them rule #1: Get a magnet. Rule #2: Call me.
But as I said, if you know of anyone who owns a small business around Metro/Burbs, let them know. She obviously targets those she feels are not in-the-know. She clearly feels them out too to make sure.
Thanks, all!
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Pillar of the Community
1325 Posts |
Rule #1 should be, if you know nothing about it, it is worth face value or $0.00. When I got some coins from someone trying to sell them I told them the register would take them as any other coin. $1 coin is $1 coin. This is why I found out a person wanting to weigh or thoroughly check my rolls, was just looking to see if anything of value was in it at the grocery store because she was going to buy it. You don't do that if you are working a register. It goes into the register for face value like ALL other coins and can be dealt with later. The crime is WRONG, but in coins and anything else, "let the buyer beware!" Get rich quick schemes are always scams is a good rule of thumb. Glad you are looking out for them, but they should exercise common sense, everyone should. A con-man (woman) needs someone to con to begin with, and people should learn to not be conned. Not sure which makes me more angry, the people buying the con, or the con-artist. Isn't it time we ALL learned and played safe not sorry. Did anyone get her on camera? Have people send her to a pawn shop or jeweler where they have to record who sold it to them.  I am just walking away from this in much disgust. keep up the effort cdn! |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
Crooked pawnshops will not always record their purchases - that's a fact that I've seen first-hand. They'll do things that are off the books to get around things like: known thievery, sales from minors, sales from illegal immigrants, sales from felons, taxes, hiding revenue... Some of them, not all of them. But I'm sure that crooked pawn brokers will not report them but try and take advantage of the thief "Ali Baba style". Remember it's primarily a cash business so it brings with it all sorts of underhanded tactics - they "sell" money as loans; it's one of their products.
I hope they catch this mug and make her pay back her victims. The problem is with the embarrassment of being taken OR the victims believed that what they did was illegal so they don't report it. The great con is that they are selling it to someone with the story that they'll make even more money than the conman - that's your first sign that you should walk away from a deal. If it was such a great deal they wouldn't come to a middleman but directly to the end buyer.
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Valued Member
United States
269 Posts |
Its criminal whatshe is doing, but, I have a rule I try to live by, I ask myself "is this deal too good to be true?" Even is just a small part of me is saying "yes" ill normally walk away (i have been caught not taking notice of my own rule once or twice in my 58 years on this earth  ) |
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Valued Member
United States
415 Posts |
Being a coin dealer in waterford, I appreciate this!
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Valued Member
United States
455 Posts |
Quote:
Being a coin dealer in waterford Where are you at in Waterford? I am very close to there. |
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Valued Member
United States
415 Posts |
GOLDandSILVERTREASURE, formally GOLDANDSILVEREXCHANGE on M59 between williams lake rd and north oakland BLVD
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Valued Member
United States
455 Posts |
Thanks...I stop by and check you out one of these days.
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Replies: 12 / Views: 2,568 |
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Posted 04/09/2014 12:01 pm
