Be careful with FedEx too. Their packages are disappearing as well.
Baylor8670
Posts: 137 ✭✭✭
Woman said she lost $20k of gold & silver that was en route to be sold to JM Bullion. IIRC, FedEx specifically says to not send gold/silver unless you have a special account with them.
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Was this article sponsored by UPS? I appreciate you letting us know op, but Im surprised they published this.
Seriously, 20k that's been delayed for a month? I'm not going to argue that there's been a spike in shenanigans at Fedex, but this is barely a noteworthy incident. Every shipping service has had problems with delays and theft, but USPS is the worst culprit by a country mile. I know a dealer who had 4 packages go missing in 4 months, one was registered.
I read a story from a dealer recently (either reddit or FB) where a Fedex delivery in Carlsbad was signed for by a thief who was standing in the driveway of the intended recipient, he made off with a 3k coin from said dealer and 6 packages from apex. Sounds like an inside job, but a police report was filed and the dealer has no other evidence. Porch pirates, mailbox pilfering, and other types of petty theft/fraud have been on the rise for a while. Delays have increased at all services, but the Memphis hub in particular has always been known for an above-average tomfoolery....
BUT
All of those things pale in comparison to some of the organized gambits being exposed at USPS. Crime rings of check washing fraud and employee theft are off the rails, frequent headlines of schemes where damages exceed seven figures. Word on the street is that USPS has been hiring anyone with a pulse, and due to the staffing issues, laughable security, and delays with mountains of packages, dealers had to implement many different techniques to prevent mishaps. AirTags, intentionally misnamed sending party, discreet packaging techniques etc. I'm curious how well the "victim" in this story packaged her coins, but Its likely she addressed her package to "JM Bullion" and that's a huge no-no these days.
Standard Fedex insurance doesn't cover coins or bullion but all of the dealers and auction houses that use Fedex have 3rd party insurance. What you mentioned is the Fedex "Declared Value Advantage" program for eligible businesses, but I don't know anyone who uses that. I'm sure it costs a fortune and I wouldn't want that anyway, but I'm pretty sure its restricted delivery for pickup at Fedex locations only, which is a service you can opt for with a normal Fedex account. I prefer that no shipping employees know the value of my package, and everyone who ships frequently needs to have third party insurance nowadays. I've never had to file a claim, but I know others that have been dropped after filing their first claim and i'm curious if my renewal premium is going to be subsidizing losses for the previous year. I am no longer using USPS for anything over $5,000 .... I just had two priority packages sitting for 11 business days at a distribution center, the second was just delivered the other day. USPS never even responded to either of the missing packages report, but thank goodness they finally made it through.
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/investigations/postal-worker-mail-theft-stolen/3674589/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/11/usps-worker-check-stealing-scheme/78421276007/
https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/newport-news/4-people-sentenced-in-newport-news-mail-theft-bank-fraud-ring/291-fc8d86e8-7423-44c1-afcb-b487ebb90b07
https://cbs12.com/news/crime/delray-beach-mail-theft-ring-busted-in-operation-checkmate-over-1-million-stolen-florida-july-16-2024
https://www.fox10tv.com/2025/02/05/former-mobile-postal-worker-sentenced-role-multimillion-dollar-theft-ring/
I've recently been advising all clients to avoid mailing paper checks anymore. There's too many better alternatives- E-check, Zelle, Wire/ACH preferably. It's too easy to sign up for an account at deluxe, you can write a check and have it delivered by email in 30 seconds. It doesn't cost much, and you can void the checks instantly if there's an issue. I'll leave the link for anyone who doesn't have it and wants to avoid electronic payment systems, and its much easier than sending a wire.
https://my.echecks.com/welcome
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I have never had anything stolen by FedEx, but in my part of the country they are the least reliable.
Philippians 4:4-7
I realize this falls under “you gotta do what you gotta do”, but doesn’t it just hack you off to no end? We’ve needed to change our lives significantly to deal with an organized criminal element.
Be careful with storage units too!
Gresham woman loses over $20,000 worth of items after storage unit burglary https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/gresham/woman-loses-over-20000-worth-northwest-self-storage-burglary-gresham/283-983cb422-709b-4355-b5f5-d47bf1afe8d0
Wait, no...be careful with your office! Video shows burglar swiping over $20K in laptops from West Palm Beach law firm https://wsvn.com/news/local/florida/video-shows-burglar-swiping-over-20k-in-laptops-from-west-palm-beach-law-firm/
No, I meant be careful wit your home! Nearly $20K worth of jewelry stolen in central Pa. burglary https://www.pahomepage.com/news/crime-courts/nearly-20k-worth-of-jewelry-stolen-in-central-pa-burglary/
I wish we had a rolling eyes emoji, it would be super helpful.
Can we all agree that there will always be anecdotal stories of thievery and that people should be careful with valuable items and that this has been the same for all of human history? No? We would rather fearmonger and make broad sweeping generalizations based on a single event? Ok....
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
IIRC, FedEx specifically says to not send gold/silver unless you have a special account with them.
I assume PCGS has one of those "special accounts" with FedEx because the bulk of their outgoing packages ship FedEx.
I wonder what policies and precautions FedEx incorporates into one of these accounts.
The OP says packageS in his title then talks about just one package. Does he work for USPS or UPS?
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
Which FedEx?
FedEx Express
FedEx Ground
FedEx Freight
FedEx Logistics
FedEx Office
FedEx Custom Critical
FedEx Home Delivery
I didn't realize you were expecting me to list every recent FedEx package that was lost/stolen.
https://numismaticcrimes.org/alert-stolen-missing-fedex-transit-tx-to-fl/
Thanks for allowing me to google that for you.
Can we all agree that theft of USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc. packages by carrier employees, porch pirates, et al is much more than random and de minimis?
We all know that the bureaucratic cesspool that is the USPS is not the best shipping option for valuables (registered mail being the exception).
However, problems with UPS and FedEx happen too even though they may not be as well known. Even those of us who choose to live in states where theft is not legal need to be aware of the risks with all carriers and insure appropriately.
No, I don't agree to that at all.
I don't "know" that. You may think that based on whatever news or media you consume and it may be true but it is not a given.
I hear your dogwhistle and it's absurd. There are just as many news stories about mail theft and burglaries from every state.
In the interest of not rehashing the exact same points over and over here is another recent thread...
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1110918/found-more-valuable-coins-missing-usps-greenville-sc-distribution-center
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Instead of reading threads about carrier thefts that get you all upset, I have a better idea for you - Stop reading threads about carrier thefts.
I see many thread titles that don't interest me. I do not open those threads - primarily because they don't interest me.
I'm not upset, I just feel the need to correct the fear-mongering misinformation that some, including yourself, post here from time to time. That does interest me so here I am.
Here's a better solution; stop making nonsense threads.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Dear Comrade Lermish, you are now guilty of libel because you falsely accused me of spreading misinformation.
That's the kind of reply I'd expect from a whiny 7th grader. You accused me of misinformation but failed to provide any facts whatsoever to prove your point.
I do have some good news for you though - you won't have to worry about seeing any of my posts in the future.
I've heard FedEx has been a target by a top currency professional. Try to think non-descript packaging. I sent some coins to cac over the weekend that arrived today, just my name and "cac" in the destination, I used plenty of packaging that usps provides. Express shipments with usps can be quite safe, unless they look attractive to thieves.
Thefts happen with all the services. I don't think there is any evidence that USPS is worse.
Beginning in 2025, all of my FedEx packages(4-5) from GC have required me to have my Drivers license scanned before signing for the package. Prior to that, a verbal DOB, ocaisional name call, and a sig was required. If I were not there, another HH adult could sign for my package.
When I refer to USPS in any sense regarding shipping coins to and from a TPGS, it is shorthand for one particular USPS service- Registered Mail Signature required. You know, the service that USED TO BE the default way coins were shipped. The one that is no longer available at all to independent non-commercial collector customers.
There is a similar scam at Verizon ordering smart phones to your address and showing up at your driveway to sign for the packages. Either someone at Verizon, or outside parties hijacking customer accounts.
I don’t think your (dear) comrade is guilty of libel. In order for him to be so, wouldn’t you need to prove that your reputation had been harmed, as opposed to his having to prove his point?😉
As far as the supposed “good news” you offered him, how can you insure that he won’t see any of your posts in the future? Do you plan to stop posting? I hope not.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.