A new potential fraud attempt.

[Chris Perkins 228]

Reporting this here so that the address and details can be found on search engines.

I won't reveal any full names for this one because there is a very slim chance that it was genuine.

Last week a lady called Rachel emailed me asking if I had a sovereign I could sell her as a present for her boyfriend on their anniversary. She wasn't fussy about the date but said she needed it within a couple of days. I said that wouldn't be a problem. She said she'd like to pay with a card and sent the card details over email (which isn't secure and something I never recommend, I have secure links for card payments).

She gave the delivery address as a flat in Granville Road, London NW2 2AZ (her boyfriends address apparently).

The billing address she gave for the card was:

Suite 203

5 charter house,

Lord Montgomery Way

Portsmouth PO1 2SN

I thought this looked an odd address so checked it out. It's actually a Mail Boxes Etc address (basically a post office box) and that raised my suspicions further.

I pointed it out to her and asked if she could provide something more substantial as a Hotmail email address and a Mail box billing address with a different posting address.

She said she'd get back to me later from a landline number, but never did.

It's very likely this was an attempted fraud.

[Peter 615]

I had a foreign gent working for me.Through a major contractor.He would work every scam.

I eventually told the Contractor to get rid of (enough is enough)

I even spoke to him face to face and he just grinned.

I reckon he did !0k of fraud in 12 months...bus companies etc

He got his time sheets signed from the project manager and then added in weekends.

It wasn't just him but they were all on it including the project manager....East London

A earthmoving claim I worked on in Coventry proved that the lorries could average 90mph.

[copper123 1,510]

Sounds very suspicious Chris,

if all you want is a bog standard sov and you are not bothered about the date you just go to the nearest large jewelry shop and get one for £20 over face or something.

There is no really shortage of sovs around there are hundreds in every major town.

If you want something special you might try a coin dealer.

[sound 25]

Well Chris, isn't it interesting that potential or real crooks always go for gold. They never seem to go for little brown, worn jobs with a rare mint mark and date, that few know are really worth something.

What a contrast I had a very nice customer contact me this week to buy an 1817 half soveregn in about UNC. Promptly sent me his cheque after intelligent conversation. Apparently he's buying it for a museum. Mind you he was pleased to tell me that his own example was better than mine. But mine was good enough. It's just so much simpler, I can always deal with customers like.

Regards

Mark

[Chris Perkins 228]

Yes, they always go for gold don't they. It doesn't really matter what it costs because they know they aren't really paying for it and that it's always worth a decent amount in bullion and easy to move on for cash.

And you can often tell when you speak to people over email or telephone... genuine collectors or even gold investors know what they're looking for and com over as savvy. Fraudsters just want you to send them anything quickly, for free!

[copper123 1,510]

it could be of course that the person was genuine and had just realized that there local jewelry shop also stocked sovs.

But the lack of contact after does not bode well for them being genuine