Please Read - Beware of strangers bearing Mantles - Super Scam artist alert!!!

NeilDowney

Beware of strangers bearing Mantles - Super Scam artist alert!!! As many of you know, I have put up a thread looking to buy a PSA 5 or 6 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle card. I received an email from a person at the email address of DAYT0NABEACH@aol.com on 4/6/04 that I believe was sent to me due to this thread. He offered me a PSA 5 version. It was pretty nice and the price as reasonable too ($375). I sent out a postal money order to the following address Marco Stepanic po box 177 scottsmoor, florida, 32775. He told me that he lived near Orlando. After waiting for a week expecting a package, there wasn't any. I emailed him many times with no answer back. Then I notice that an Ebay seller by the name of JORDANM2345 is auctioning off a card with the same serial number starting on 4/12/04. He works out of a store in Florida, Orlando Florida no less. I contacted him thru his ebay store and he told me that a guy came in that he didn't know and sold him the card. I never accused him of any wrong doing but when I started to tell him what happened, he got all pissed off and told me good luck finding the guy who scammed me. No help at all - no records of the transaction either a presume. Shouldn't all of us fear this type of thing happening to us and shouldn't we help each other if we can? It sickens me to think that I was played like this but it sickens me more that I can't get any help to find this guy. If anyone has ever heard of this guy or can give me advice on how to find him - let me know. Neil

toppsgun

If you sent him a postal money order, you've already got him. The Feds will be on him like white on rice, once you drop the flag.

NeilDowney

What do I do to get "the feds" on him? Neil

CDC4

I've had that happen once back in 1998. It was a 90 day procedure to track the money order.

Go to the post office and talk to them about it. You'll have to file some forms and then they will start tracking and investigating.

NeilDowney

Did you ever get your money back? Neil

NeilDowney

Has anyone ever gotten their money back after one of these guys scammed you? Neil

crsportscards33

I got my money back after a long and weird situation. It appears there was a group of illegal aliens staying in a field behind the house of a man who sold cards. The guy didn't understand why he was having so much trouble getting payment. To make a long story short, they were taking his mail and then cashing all checks/money orders at a local pawn shop. I believe in the end that they all went down-pawn shop included. The whole thing took about 8 months. At least before my money was returned.

magellan

Neil, File a complaint here . This is the FBI's internet fraud arm. I would also use the postal inspectors. The internet fraud people will also put you in touch with the authorities where the seller lives I believe. Hope this helps & the best of luck with this.
Dave

NeilDowney

Hi Guys, I have just filed a report/complaint with AOL, the internet fraud complaint center and the U.S postal inspectors. All three work closely with the FBI and I'm told that they take something like this very seriously. I was told that since payment was through a postal money order and was sent to an out-of-state P.O. box, that this is a federal offence. So now the FBI will be involved too. I know that I might have made some mistakes to make it easier for him to scam me. But he made some real mistakes in who he picked to scam and how much info he really gave out. Hopefully all of us will sleep better knowing that this things aren't always a case of "all well - I got screwed" and we have to move on. Neil

frankhardy

I am not sure if this matters, but do you have a receipt or a stub from the money order? I think they track those money orders by a serial number. I hope you get you money back, and that crook goes to jail.

pc

good luck Neil
keep us informed

murcerfan

The only time I ever got swindled off e-bay was back in 1998.
The seller requested a Postal M.O. and used a Florida P.O. Box.
after trying the 90 trace, the info came back as :
no ID was produced to cash the $125 M.O. and the postal inspectors office said that despite about a dozen other reports on this person going by Ted Acamassi ...nothing could be done! One of the other victims had found out that this clown actually worked fro the postal service, I forwarded that info to the inspectors, but have yet to hear back.

sorry to say, you are screwed.

NeilDowney

I do have a money order slip for my usps money order. A trace on that money order was the first thing a did. I'm sorry that some have been screwed with getting their money back. I lost $375 to this SOB. For that amount, I will hunt him down until I get it back. If anyone tries to sell you a PSA 5 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle card #135, serial number 11724826 - BEWARE. I'm just around the corner. Neil

bocaratondefense

This has happened to me more than once, so here is my two cents.

The internet crimes link for the FBI is a complete waste of time. I have filled ou the internet form for four claims ranging from $50 to $3500. The first complaint was logged eighteen months ago and I have yet to hear from them on any of the four.

The postal inspector is a waste of time. All forms and information must be sent to an office in Illinois. I was specifically told that they were backlogged for six months and that would be when I get a response. I have yet to hear from the postal inspector.

You will be happy to know that each of those four times I was able to recover my money in full.

In my opinion, you need help from local law enforcement agencies. If you have real contact information on these guys, I would suggest that you call the sheriff in whatever county they live in. Since payment was made to a PO Box, in all likelihood the person lives near Scottmoor, FL but not in Scottsmore FL. Still that is a good place to start. I would imagine the guy in Orlando FL would be more cooperative when questioned by law enforcement as well.

I wish you the best of luck in getting your money back and catching those crooks.

NeilDowney

How is it that all of these guys were of no help to you, however you still got all of your money back all four times. How did you get your money back each time? Neil

bocaratondefense

Neil,

Here is a long story about the time in which I almost lost $3500. I stopped an auction early to sell a GAI 5.5 E95 Ty Cobb card to a buyer near Seattle WA. The buyer sent me money order that I deposited the day I received it and I sent the card out right away. Unfortunately, the buyer cancelled the MOs the day they were issued. I was out $3500 and I was out the Ty Cobb card.

I went to the Post Office and they gave me a packet to fill out and send to the postal inspector in Illinois. I was told it would take six months for a response. I sent it in anyway and have not heard a thing. That was twelve months ago.

I filled out the online form for the FBI internet crimes division. I have not received a response.

The crooks tried to have the card crossed to an SGC holder to disguise the card. While SGC could not disclose information to me directly, SGC was able to release it to the Snohomish County Sheriff whom I had filed a report with. (All I had was a PO Box while SGC had a real address.)

The sheriff paid the crook a visit at the address provided to SGC and asked the young man to go down to his office for an interview. Under this pressure, the guy Fed Exed $3500 to me the next day.

The story is actually much longer and much more complicated but my main point is that I think it is important to get local law enforcement involved. Threats over the telephone and over emails may bring us personal satisfaction, but people react differently when a deputy sheriff knocks on their doors. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about this incident or my other other unlucky incidents.

Wes

bocaratondefense

After I got the money, I spent the next few weeks pushing the District Attorney in Snohomish County to prosecute. I offered to take time off work to fly to Washington at my own expense to testify, but the DA felt that since I got my money back, the case was not as worthwhile.

murcerfan

I did not realize you could cancel a postal money order.

bocaratondefense

They sent me Washington Mutual money orders. They signed an affadavit claiming the MOs were stolen. You can cancel Postal MOs too. Just sign an affadavit under penalty of perjury that the MO was lost, stolen or destroyed.

I know everyone waits for personal checks to clear but sends immediately upon receipt of MOs and cashier checks. I have learned from this experience that it hardly makes a difference.

Mantlefan

Best chance is with Local Law Enforcement. I had a guy buy $250 worth of cards from me thru PAYPAL. He then told PAYPAL that his account was hijacked and PAYPAL took the money out of my account. I contacted the Laguna Hills PD and spoke to their fraud detective. He spoke to the guy and within a week, my cards were sent back to me!