Suspicious EBAY activity: Buyers of 2008-W Buffs & PCGS 1909-S VDB coins & PAMP Gold bullion
greghansen
Posts: 4,301 ✭✭✭
The EBAY seller is: max7519
His current active auctions are here
His recently ended auctions are here.
Within the last couple of days he has sold 2 full sets of NGC graded 2008-W Unc. Gold Buffs. All of the NGC coins bear the same coin number. I don't just mean using a stock photo. Even though they are different denominations, the $5, $10, $25 & $50 coins all have the exact same coin ID # of 3866386-050. Even if all coins were submitted at same time you would get sequentially numbered coins with the last 3 digits being 050, 051, 052, etc. It seems likely that someone without familiarity with NGC numbering policy has photoshopped or altered these slab photos in some manner. He has 2 other full sets up with BIN on them. All the current Gold Buffs also have the same coin number. Also, one of the sold sets was allegedly graded MS70 with the grade being the only difference on the slab...still the same coin #. You can't have the same unique coin # with a MS69 grade in one auction and a MS70 grade in another.
He has also sold 3 PCGS 1909-S VDB coins in the last week....all to the same buyer. I haven't done an analysis on these coins. I did a brief analysis on his recent feedback and it all seems suspicious. Buyers with low feedback, all of it coming from him. (Edited to add: I've now looked at the 1909-S coins and the one for sale has same unique coin # as ones he sold last week. This auction is now reported also)
Plus he has sold $30,000 of gold bullion in a matter of a few days and has current auctions for $20,000 more, plus another 1909-S VDB coin.
None of this passes my sniff test. A lot of suspicious signals but the most worrisome to me is the fact that someone had to intentionally alter the NGC slab photo's to get them to have the same coin #....and why would a legitimate seller do that? This is big ticket stuff so I've alerted eBAY to my concerns and thought I would post this notice to anybody who might be in the market for coins in the thread title.
Edited to add: Oh yea, all the auctions say 'will ship within 15-20 days of payment' Why so long...unless maybe your trying to stretch out the time period to run your auctions and get more payments in? Just sayin'....look out.
His current active auctions are here
His recently ended auctions are here.
Within the last couple of days he has sold 2 full sets of NGC graded 2008-W Unc. Gold Buffs. All of the NGC coins bear the same coin number. I don't just mean using a stock photo. Even though they are different denominations, the $5, $10, $25 & $50 coins all have the exact same coin ID # of 3866386-050. Even if all coins were submitted at same time you would get sequentially numbered coins with the last 3 digits being 050, 051, 052, etc. It seems likely that someone without familiarity with NGC numbering policy has photoshopped or altered these slab photos in some manner. He has 2 other full sets up with BIN on them. All the current Gold Buffs also have the same coin number. Also, one of the sold sets was allegedly graded MS70 with the grade being the only difference on the slab...still the same coin #. You can't have the same unique coin # with a MS69 grade in one auction and a MS70 grade in another.
He has also sold 3 PCGS 1909-S VDB coins in the last week....all to the same buyer. I haven't done an analysis on these coins. I did a brief analysis on his recent feedback and it all seems suspicious. Buyers with low feedback, all of it coming from him. (Edited to add: I've now looked at the 1909-S coins and the one for sale has same unique coin # as ones he sold last week. This auction is now reported also)
Plus he has sold $30,000 of gold bullion in a matter of a few days and has current auctions for $20,000 more, plus another 1909-S VDB coin.
None of this passes my sniff test. A lot of suspicious signals but the most worrisome to me is the fact that someone had to intentionally alter the NGC slab photo's to get them to have the same coin #....and why would a legitimate seller do that? This is big ticket stuff so I've alerted eBAY to my concerns and thought I would post this notice to anybody who might be in the market for coins in the thread title.
Edited to add: Oh yea, all the auctions say 'will ship within 15-20 days of payment' Why so long...unless maybe your trying to stretch out the time period to run your auctions and get more payments in? Just sayin'....look out.
Greg Hansen, Melbourne, FL Click here for any current EBAY auctions Multiple "Circle of Trust" transactions over 14 years on forum
0
Comments
1909-Svdb auction no.1
1909-Svdb auction no.2
1909-Svdb auction no.3
Added: It's a shill game.
Good catch greg.Thanks for posting
As far as the buffs, they all have the same serial number, where is the sequential numbering, as you said Greg?
Smells of rotting fish IMO.
Coinfame,Kaelasdad,Type2,UNLVino,MICHAELDIXON
Justacommeman,tydye,78saen,123cents,blue62vette,Segoja,Nibanny
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
<< <i>Oh yea, all the auctions say 'will ship within 15-20 days of payment' Why so long...unless maybe your trying to stretch out the time period to run your auctions and get more payments in? Just sayin'....look out. >>
Means he's a veteran scammer. He's using this to delay claims/disputes so he can bring in more victims. Buyers won't start getting suspicious until his shipping time goes by.
Reported using Ebay's easy reporting form for coins and currency.
"Seller has two four coin sets for sale. Last three digits of serial number on NGC slab is the same for all four coins even though the coins are different from each other. These last three digits in an NGC serial number are unique to the coin and holder. Seller appears to have not been aware of this when he altered the picture (photoshop?). It is impossible for more than one coin to have the same NGC serial number. Prefix is always the grading order number (which can be the same) and last three digits are unique sequencial numbers for that grading order. Seller has also completed two recent sales of this same item with the same photoshopped pictures."
Exit bunker, enter Matrix. LOL