LIMESTONE COUNTY-The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office has issued a statement regarding a Scam Alert that has to do with the sale of counterfeit gold and silver in the area:
“Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, and Huntsville Police Department have all recently investigated cases regarding the sale of counterfeit gold and silver. Several suspects have been developed and some arrests have been made.
The most recent cases involve transactions at flea markets, like Dog Days in Ardmore Alabama, and Lacon, located in Morgan County. Some of the unsuspecting buyers have been scammed out of thousands of dollars. At this time investigators are unsure where the counterfeit coins and bars are being produced. They suspect the counterfeits may also be purchased online.
Many of the silver coins, bars, and gold bars are presented in sealed packaging. Breaking the seal for testing does devalue an actual item. However, gold buyers recommend if you make a large investment, that you break the seal and have one of the items tested. A simple weighing of the item or acid test can determine a counterfeit in seconds. Always get identification from a potential seller. Most of the time sellers use aliases, leaving nothing but vague descriptions of themselves or their “company.”
Anyone should be leery of a collection worth thousands being sold at a flea market, when coin buyers and professional businesses will pay the worth of these items.
Photographs of several of the counterfeit items that have recently been sold in North Alabama and Tennessee are shown below. In the three local cases, elderly subjects have been the target, though no one is immune. If you have recently purchased coins or bars that look like these, or any substantial collection, you may want to have them tested.
If you have been scammed into buying a counterfeit collection, please contact your local law enforcement agency.”
