Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation is working with fraud victims and federal law enforcement agencies
(Fallbrook, California) May 26, 2020 – A fraudulent advertisement for bullion coins on Facebook, fake encapsulation holders and requests for expert help from federal agencies kept the nonprofit Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEFonline.org) busy during May 2020.
“Among the cases we’re investigating is the sale of ten fake one-ounce silver American Eagles. They were unsuspectingly purchased by someone who responded to an advertisement that popped up while he was checking his Facebook account. All ten coins he received in response to his order were counterfeit,” said Doug Davis, Director of the ACEF Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force.
“The victim provided us pictures showing one coin being cut in half to reveal it was composed of base metal, not silver. We have provided information about the seller and the potential manufacturer to the U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and to the Secret Service,” explained Davis, a former Texas police chief.
Another case ACEF officials received in May involved counterfeit coins housed in fake Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGCcoin.com) and Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS.com) encapsulation holders. The victim spent $8,000 responding to an offer made on Mercari, an e-commerce platform.ACEF contacted NGC and PCGS to verify the holders were not genuine, and the information has been provided to federal law enforcement. Read More.
