« PhotoScribe Diamond Inscription Co. Wins Lawsuit Against Lazare Kaplan. | Main | Helzberg Jewelers Cuts Staff. »
Beware Of New Scam Against Retail Jewelers and Suppliers
National Jeweler reports that the The Jewelers' Security Alliance (JSA) is warning jewelry suppliers about a phone scam in which callers posing as new customers are using bogus money orders to order jewelry merchandise in the $1,500 price range.
In one case, on Jan. 23, someone using the name "Cliff Brewer" ordered six gold clasps from a Los Angeles supplier and sent what appeared to be a money order from Washington Mutual for $1,500 requesting that the merchandise be shipped to his alleged place of business in California, the JSA says. The merchandise was shipped after the money order was deposited. A few days later, the person called again and ordered six more clasps, sent another $1,500 money order, and had the goods shipped.
But both money orders were later returned to the supplier, marked "altered/fictitious."
In another incident reported from New Mexico, someone using the name "Frank Wright" called a supplier on Feb. 18, and used an address in Inglewood, Calif. The person ordered gold and silver product in two different orders, pre-paying one with a $1,000 money order that appeared to be from Citibank, and the other with a $1,500 money order that appeared to be from Washington Mutual. The latter contained a serial number nearly identical to the bogus one used in the Los Angeles scam.
The goods were sent overnight, and both money orders were returned as fraudulent, the JSA says. There was an additional attempt of this nature on another supplier in the Dallas area, but that individual did not ship the merchandise.
Verify Credit Cards before shipping your merchandise or insist on Bank Wire transfers.
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://blogadmin.mysecureweb.net/mt-track-back.cgi/10404
Comments
Money Orders are only valid upto a $1,000.00 that should have been a red flag.
Posted by: Sandra Pyne on March 17, 2008 7:49 AM