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I'm from Massachusetts.................But..........I hope..........

1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 14,111 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited August 2, 2018 2:54AM in U.S. Coin Forum

I truly hope that I am not this easily taken in by scammers :smile:

WESTBOROUGH - Police are asking the public’s help in identifying a pair of alleged con artists said to have bilked more than $300,000 from three people who thought they were buying a safe full of gold.

Westborough police posted the details on Facebook on Tuesday, along with closed-circuit camera images of the two suspects wanted in the scam.

Police said on July 17, three men looking to buy gold dust met with the suspects - a man who gave his name as “Jesse O’Brien” and man who gave his name as “Frank” - at the Extended Stay America hotel at 1800 Computer Drive in Westborough.

After testing the gold and confirming it to be 93 percent pure and 22 karat, the buyers agreed to purchase 10 kilograms of gold dust for $306,000, with the sellers agreeing to add another 5 kilograms of gold dust with payment due after the product was refined and resold, police said.

Police said the buyers paid $26,000 in cash and transferred the remaining $280,000 into a Bank of America account. Upon showing proof of the money transfer, the victims received a locked safe with what they believed was 15 kilograms of gold dust. They were told they would be given the combination to the safe after confirmation was received from Bank of America that the $280,000 transfer had been approved.

Two days later, on July 19, after a combination received by email did not open the safe, the victims called a locksmith. When the safe was opened, the gold dust inside was found to be phony and worthless.

Westborough police are circulating images of the suspects from the hotel camera, and asking anyone who can identify the men to contact Detective Sgt. Chet Hallice or Detective Dean Paine at (508) 475-4825.

Gold Dust Men: Westborough Looking For Scam Suspects
Two men allegedly sold counterfeit gold to victims for $306,000 in an elaborate scam that involved real gold, a safe and a bank transfer.

Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko

Bad transactions with : nobody to date

Comments

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,808 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Anyone have a Bridgeport commem. handy to post a photo of?

  • CoinCrazyPACoinCrazyPA Posts: 2,899 ✭✭✭✭

    Wow, amazing how crafty thieves are with these scams.

    Positive BST transactions: agentjim007, cohodk, CharlieC, Chrischampeon, DRG, 3 x delistamps, djdilliodon, gmherps13, jmski52, Meltdown, Mesquite, 2 x nibanny, themaster, 2 x segoja, Timbuk3, ve3rules, jom, Blackhawk, hchcoin, Relaxn, pitboss, blu62vette, Jfoot13, Jinx86, jfoot13,Ronb

    Successful Trades: Swampboy,
  • WillieBoyd2WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,266 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Jesse and Frank?

    Couldn't be the James Boys, could they?

    :)

    https://www.brianrxm.com
    The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
    Coins in Movies
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  • ms70ms70 Posts: 13,956 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2, 2018 11:27AM

    It's amazing that people who would fall for such a scam were smart enough to earn the huge amount of money they got scammed out of to begin with.

    Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.

  • LeroyLeroy Posts: 186 ✭✭✭

    The saying "I was born at night but, I wasn't born last night" comes to mind. It's hard to believe that anyone could be so naive.

  • Timbuk3Timbuk3 Posts: 11,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 1, 2018 7:05PM

    Yikes, how horrible !!! :s

    Timbuk3
  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 36,286 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sorry, but they deserved to be taken. 15 kilograms is almost 500 troy ounces of gold. That's over $500,000 worth of gold, even accounting for purity. So, why would someone try and buy $500,000 in gold for $300,000:

    1. They themselves are crooks.
    2. They think/know the gold is stolen and are a willing party in the fencing of the goods.
  • pbjpbj Posts: 93 ✭✭✭

    Any info on the details of the scam and how they were able to dupe 3 people that were smart enough to accumulate that much cash?

  • AotearoaAotearoa Posts: 1,546 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Even I (from the other side of the world) know that’s not how you spell Massachusetts!

    Smitten with DBLCs.

  • BryceMBryceM Posts: 11,851 ✭✭✭✭✭

    When I lived there we spelled it "Taxachusetts"

  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,240 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The love of money is the root of all evil. Usually sane people do some crazy s##t for money. This fraud is as old as dirt, only the details change. Peace Roy

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • oldabeintxoldabeintx Posts: 2,395 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I often buy kilos of gold dust from strangers in hotel rooms. Guess I've been lucky so far.

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Unbelievable.... except, of course, it is true. One would think, the first question would be - "Why would they be selling this - and at this price?" Common sense, obviously not so common....Cheers, RickO

  • gonzergonzer Posts: 3,052 ✭✭✭✭✭

  • DantesDadDantesDad Posts: 113 ✭✭✭

    If they didn’t think it was stolen, why would they consent to not getting the combination at the time of payment? Who would pay this kind of money with the “hope” that the sellers ( read thief’s) were being honest. Terrible, but probably deserved.

    Always buying and looking for a deal.
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,694 ✭✭✭✭✭

    W.C. Fields "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ0dyjPrivM

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • BustDMsBustDMs Posts: 1,685 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow! That looks like the Nigerian Prince that contacted me about importing gold for him promising to make me rich. :D

    Q: When does a collector become a numismatist?



    A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.



    A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.

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