FRAUD Alert!

[Tal Inbar]

Attention!

Watch out, there is a new (?) kind of fraud. This is an email I got today:

"Dear Ebay Member,
Recently we attempted to authorize payment from your credit card we have on file for you, but it was declined.
For security purposes, our system automatically removes credit card information from an account when there
is a problem or the card expires.
Please resubmit the credit card, and provide us with new and complete information.
To resubmit credit card information via our secure server, click the following link,
login to your account and resubmit your information:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

The link is dead, and the reply I sent to the email was also dead, and of course I don't have credit card info on EBAY.

Watch out!!!!


Tal

Keep this adress in your links library, and I suggest to read it:

http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

[new world]

Dear fellow collectors,

Please be aware of attempt to fraud collectors that's in the progress right now.

Several collectors in the US (at least two that I am aware of) were contacted last week with offering to purchase some high and expensive Soviet awards - including:
- Nakhimov 2nd class,
- Ushakov 2nd class,
- Khmelnitsky 2nd class.

The seller sends out pictures of authentic awards with electronically altered serial numbers. The original awards are located in private collections and pictures were obtained from Mondvor site.

The seller states he's located in Baltics/Russia.

In one case he introduces himself as Andrew Tkachenko and in other he uses e-mail "[email protected]".

He's also listing on eBay under the nick name "colectibles_1".

Please be aware of this fraud going on and don't fall victim to the scamster.

Best regards,
William

[yolkin]

Hello,

I have been a victim of such FRAUD in the past and when I get to my archived emails, I will post the pertinent information such as email addresses and other details of the perpetrators in both of my cases. :mad:

As a collecting commuity, we are spending quite a significant sum of money, and thus need to protect ourselves as much as possible from opportunists who take advantage of people with a passion for Soviet Awards. :mad:

I know that the dealers will right away say: "Well, I told you that you should only buy from reputable sources...", however there are quite a few deals out there that are genuine, and sometimes yield items not found in the dealers' inventories.

Art, I believe we may want to create a section for fellow collectors to share any fraudulent attempts that transpired whether successful or thwarted in time.

Thank you,

Eric

[ericlida]

Hello Gentlemen
I am writing this story to also provide some information about what happened with me and other members of this Forum. I am not mentioning names, so nobody is offended. There is a person from Riga, who placed several items on eBay 5-6 months ago (Order of Nevsky, WWII Orders, etc. w/documents). After he was not able to sell those items on eBay he contacted several collectors offering those medals for less $$. He also contacted me. Later he tried to sell the Star of HSL to me, which was on eBay from Vilnus or Tallin from absolutely different person. Currently he offered me couple Stars of HSL and Order of Lenin. I asked few of our members if these medals are authentic. And you know, what I found out, that this person ripped off at least one of our collectors for $400.00 offering HSL and never mailing it. I suspect that this guy has ripped off more people.
If you are one of them, let us know.
Eric

[olezha11]

His name is Vladis Savikis

[ericlida]

Yes. Thanks Oleg for helping me. I was not sure if I can do it. If somebody needs Vlad's address in Riga (if it's his address) Oleg and I have it.
Eric

[new world]

Oleg and Eric,

Is this Vladis guy the same person that I was talking about in the beginning of the tread?

William

[ericlida]

William

May be. Our guy's E-mail is:
[email protected]
In both E-mail addresses present 81. So it might be the same person.

Eric

[new world]

Eric,

I think that's the same person.

When I look at the sender's name - he has initials VS, which is probaly stands for Vladis Savikis.

I assume 81 is his year of birth.

Best,
William

[ericlida]

William

I think you are wright.
Oleg can tell you a lot about this guy's E-mails. I read them. It's terrible.
Vlad thinks that only way to survive there (in Riga) is to cheat people from the US, because they (we) have a lot of money and $400.00 is nothing for them (us). He is writing this openly, not even thinking about simple human ethics.

Eric.