Also note that the SK Ty Cobb that this guy was complaining about PSA grading on (Link) also came back as Altered, so it's possible it may have been recolored also. Also sold to a boardmember, but it looks like he accepted a return.

This forum rocks!!!
 

I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I joined this forum! We have interesting topics, baseball expertise, how to spot fake cards, drama & suspense and now crime busting! :cool:

What's next and should I go out and buy some popcorn?

p.s. Well done Leon, btw!

Just some questions about this guy who had an account here:

1 - How long was he a member (ie when was his profile created)?

2 - How many posts did he have?

3 - any clue how many transactions he had before this mess?

Just wondering because I try and look an peoples profile info and try and judge if I should send them money or not. May not be a good way to judge but its all I have come up with so far.

PS - that's the reason I add every person who I have had a good deal with to my sig, that way, I , as well as the person on the other end of my deal gets some "feedback".

Yea popcorn and some 3D glasses, I heard net54 is going HD3D

File a police report! You need that sort of documentation.

Thanks ted...if i end up filing fraud through my bank i was told that may be a good idea.

Yes, that's him.

The scammer in this thread is one of the biggest the hobby has ever seen. I gathered much more information about him after two failed scams against me over a year apart. I was the one that had a $40,000 deal in the works, figured it out, and alerted Leon. I've connected him to multiple alts on CU, net54, and blowoutcards. He has been doing this for many years and is now perfectly replicating PSA slabs as well. It's believed that he is operating out of Mexico and will be very hard to stop. He was the ring leader of the Cyrus Stivers case and Stivers never even met him nor knew who he was. He does everything from out of the country and uses other people as pawns, some of them don't even know they're selling fraudulent or stolen cards.
His best scam is putting authentic, trimmed/altered/lower grade cards into fake PSA slabs. These things look scary legit.
If you have ever dealt with this person, it's highly likely what you received was either stolen or counterfeit.
I've connected him to the following scams:


http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/f...fool-me-1.html

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=92552

http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/b...99-robbed.html

All of the following are likely banned or inactive now but here's some of his various alts (I'll update this list as I learn more):
net54 = sportscollector, sam1952
blowoutcards = supercollector2012, expertcollector
CU = Will update this soon.

eBay ids: reedca76, moderncollector2012, encapsulated_icons, top_shelf_cards, highest-grade

Peter,

Was the card real? Will you be able to get your money back and still keep the card?

Just wondering.

I did some checking on Sam1952 after another board member accused him and Joey Farino of being one in the same (which they weren't). Sam1952 also has an eBay user id of jasonchicas based in San Diego.

I had that one noted too and checked it out. This scammer finds people via Craigslist to go into business with selling cards. It's likely that account was just someone else who was a pawn of his.

Perhaps he used his "one phone call" from jail so he could log onto Net54 and post his "goodbye, I'm leaving" thread?

:confused: ;)

Good to hear Paypal is working with you, Peter (this hobby should be nothing but fun and it sucks when you have to deal with this crap).

It's crazy to think the secret service is involved, but it's good to know they have our back!

Funny....Not really
 

It's interesting to me that these scams always seem to involve PSA graded cards/ holders. Hypothetically If your were PSA and were supposedly the biggest TPG out there, wouldn't you address the fact that your holder is easily breached, etc?

It's not hard to tell when a SGC holder has been cracked open, and frankly Beckett holders are damn near bomb proof and are destroyed when/if the holder is cracked.

I own many high end cards in PSA holders, and would frankly be a bit more at peace with their product if I wasn't left wondering if my cards might be fake, etc...

I am also rather concerned at their lack of response to issues like this. I would think it reasonable to at least address it.

it'd be super...if I got to keep the card...and get a refund?!?!?!:eek:

Fake Packs Authenticated by PSA and FBI Investigations and Fake PSA Slabs and Secret Service Investigations.... What could be next?

Maybe this guy knows?

http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...ps49f475fc.jpg

But then you'd be dishonest too.

I think that if paypal issues a refund and doesn't request the card, it's yours.
Unless the seller wants it back after he serves his time. :p

I cant help but wonder if the scammer in question is related to the "Haiku" scam that was set up on Blowout as well. Haiku gave some great deals and was generally accepted as a "good guy" and ripped many off on the Blowout boards. There are epic threads over their discussing this scam but I could not find a name or location. I posted a thread asking for this information.

Haiku Reference
 

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/m...merge-172.html

If only people used their powers for good instead of this bull...

I had similar thoughts reading through this thread. It seems like the fake PSA holder scam has been going on for at least 6 years - starting on Craigslist if I recall correctly. It's somewhat comforting to know that federal law enforcement is now involved, yet one has to wonder how many bad slabs are out there (quite a few I suspect over that length of time) and why wasn't PSA more proactive in improving their product? I know there were CU threads about this problem and of course they would be instantly deleted. PSA once used a hologram and some decoder gimmick - both of which were discontinued - but nothing really that "packs a punch" in addressing the problem.

What is the story about the photo of the guy holding the graded slab with a Cookie Monster picture inside and the Cops mugshot in the background? I have seen reference to this on multiple threads but no context. What is this story there?

I've been wondering the same thing.

Basically another (former) Net54 member claimed he owned the famous T206 Nun’s Wagner and offered it for sale here on the boards not knowing its provenance. He was busted rather quickly, but stuck to his story. He offered “proof” that he owned the card by taking a picture with it. The pic was clearly photoshopped. Then the thread was spoofed by other members posting the same pic, but with him holding other famous items/memorabilia. He stuck with his story until the very end, never admitting he made the whole thing up. He was banned.

Thanks for the quick responses on the Nun Wagner / Cookie Monster card guy. I love the fact that he has dirty socks on the floor and lots of lotion on his dresser.

The life of a baseball card collector is a lonely one :(!

Don't forget, the sock on the floor is classic when you're holding The Wagner.
The photo has been passed around and PShopped more than your answer here:D

It rubs the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again.

I just finished reading this whole thread, and my head is spinning. :eek:

I hope this guy ends up in a cell with a substantial man named Rufus.

Rufus or his toothless cousin with the tattooed eyeballs, Ben Dover :)

I just received a PM from another board member that analyzed the card he bought from these scammers. It is 100% altered. It looks like a large percentage are going to be altered. I believe he has opened a paypal dispute too. To anyone that bought a card from them be advised it could be altered and act quickly. That might be the only chance to recoup monies.

Leon, you deserve a day off from this.

Thanks....I am very protective of our board. Once I know no one has been totally scammed I will leave it be. What ya'll see on the board is only a little bit of what is going on, there is some more behind the scenes.

I say we chip in and pay this guy's bail.....and meet him at the gate.:D

I know you are, Leon, and believe, I greatly appreciate it. I've run a few forums in my day, and I know the amount of work behind the scenes (just parsing and backing up the database, keeping the php software up to date, etc) can add up on an active forum. With this being added to the mix, I can only imagine how much running around you're doing at the moment (physically and virtually).

Once I get a little more savings built up, I'm going to be buying some nice vintage cards at auction, on Ebay, and from our B/S/T board here (It just takes a while longer being on disability). I will do my due diligence, of course, but I feel better knowing that you are watching out for the safety of your members. And when there's trouble, the other members speak out. They police the hobby, so to speak. They bring suspicious auctions or members to the attention of everybody here. In doing so, they are also educating me. I'm learning what things I should be looking for. And when that is combined with what you're doing, it makes me feel much more confident about transacting here on the board.

At some point in the (hopefully) not too distant future, when I am able to get a round a little better, I'm going to go to one of the shows you guys put on. I would love to meet you and some of the other members. I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon. I'll just try not to drool! :p

you should always pay with a credit card. paypal succumbs to them.

pay with a credit card, if you have a problem open your case with the credit card company. once you open the claim with paypal, you lose some of the power from the credit card company.

the credit card company will instantly credit you the money, then ask questions later. that is what you get for the 6 to 22 percent interest they charge on unpaid balances. they take the fraud hit on them, instead of leaving it on you. don't be fooled, if you pay with a bank card and the transaction is put through as a debit, then you have way less power in the dispute, then if it is put through as a cc transaction on the card.

kevin

hi,

my concern is about how fast cards move through some peoples hands. people buy to sell and then flip cards. its one thing to not deal with this guy but how do you know the cards you have are good.

what is the concrete way to tell if you have a card in one of these fake cases and flips. can someone really dive into the details and post a clear example of how to to indentify them?

kevin

Good question Kevin I recommend you start a thread about that very topic.

Leon.... if one wanted to contact the individual that you are talking to, how might one do so?

-Aaron smith

Just read through this whole thread. wow. I believe I talked with one of his pawns out of San Diego about a month ago on the phone. He wanted to trade a graded Cobb for one of my cards. Was a bit fishy as his card was worth about $3K more than mine. He never called back after I asked him about 30 questions and said I would require his card to go through a review at PSA first.

Any new information about this case?