JEWELERS MUST ALWAYS BE ON HIGH ALERT WHEN BUYING GOLD!
Glens Falls, NY – October 2009
Two Hispanic males produced an item at a retail jewelry store that they wanted to sell that was stamped 18 karat and purported to be white and yellow gold. The jeweler was suspicious and subjected the item to several acid tests and got a positive result each time that it was 18 karat. Even after scraping and filing it down, the item still tested as 18 karat. Later when the jeweler had the item heated and subjected to a torch, he determined it wasn’t gold. However, the sellers had immediately cashed their check at the local bank after leaving the store. There have been recent reports of similar attempts in Saratoga and Albany, NY.
 
There has been a large increase of crime reports to JSA involving frauds and switches against retail jewelers when they are buying gold from walk-in sellers. Due to the poor economy and the high price of gold, the buying of gold by retail jewelers has increased dramatically and has resulted in a substantial increase in these crimes. JSA has received over 25 reports involving gold buying frauds committed against retail jewelers in 2009.
 
There are two basic types of crimes:
 
1. The seller will produce a real gold item which the jeweler will test and will determine that it is in fact gold. However, sometime before the seller leaves the store with cash or a check, the seller switches the item that was tested for a non-gold item. The seller may switch it by putting it back in a bag and taking out a different item or some other method.
 
2. The seller will produce a fake gold item which is heavily plated and tests positive that it is gold, however, the gold plating is only superficial. The jeweler pays and the seller leaves. The jeweler later subjects the item to more rigorous testing and discovers it is not gold and that there has been a fraud.
 
SEE A SURVEILLANCE PHOTO OF A CREDIT CARD FRAUD SUSPECT
Suspect uses cell phone to trick sales associate
New York, NY – September 29, 2009
A black male suspect is wanted in connection with a $47,800 credit card fraud. The suspect produced a driver’s license and used a fraudulent credit card at a retail jewelry store on Fifth Avenue in New York City that was initially rejected by the credit card company. When the suspect was advised of the rejection, he used his cell phone and pretended to call the credit card company. After a short conversation, the suspect handed the cell phone to the sales associate who believed that she was talking with the credit card company representative and accepted a verification number and then released the jewelry. It is reported that the same suspect attempted the same method but was unsuccessful in several other Fifth Avenue retail jewelry stores during the same time period, and is also believed to have participated in similar frauds in CA and NJ. The suspect is described as 22-years- old, 5’9” and 160 lbs. If you have information, please contact Detective Kevin Dename, Midtown North Detective Squad, NYPD, 212-767-8422.
SEE A PHOTO OF THIS SUSPECT ON THE UPPER LEFT OF THE HOMEPAGE OF THE JSA WEBSITE, www.jewelerssecurity.org.
 
ROBBER ENTERS AND LEAVES THROUGH HOLE CUT IN ROOF
Carlsbad, CA – October 21, 2009
At 9:15 a.m. an employee of a retail jewelry store hit a panic alarm when a robber wearing a paintball-type mask robbed the store at gunpoint. The suspect took jewelry from the open safe and ran to the women’s restroom where he escaped through a hole that had been cut into the ceiling and opened onto the roof. The robber had cut the hole and entered the store either the previous night or early in the morning, and then hid in the restroom and waited for the employees to come to work so they could open the safe. The suspect is described as an Hispanic male, 5’9” to 5’11”.
 
PATTERN OF ROBBERIES OF HISPANIC JEWELRY/CLOTHING STORES IN OREGON
There have been three recent armed jewelry robberies of stores that in addition to selling jewelry also sell clothing, boots and other goods that are focused on an Hispanic market. The suspects are also Hispanic and are armed with guns and knives. The most recent was in Corvallis, OR on October 26th. Six Hispanic males in their 20s robbed the store and tied up the owner and a customer. On October 21st there was another armed robbery in Woodburn, OR by four Hispanic males in their early 20s to 30s. Finally, on October 2, 2009 there was a third robbery in Medford, OR by four Hispanic males who escaped in a mid-to-late 90s, bluish-green Ford Aerostar van.
 
SUMMARY OF OFF-PREMISES CASES
Camp Hill, PA – October 23, 2009 – A traveling salesperson left the Harrisburg International Horse Show and was enroute to the Washington International Horse Show. The salesperson stopped at a Giant Food Store at 9:15 a.m. when his unattended vehicle was broken into and jewelry, cash and a laptop computer were taken.
Jeffersonville, IN – October 21, 2009 – When a traveling jewelry salesperson went to his car in the parking lot of the Sheraton Hotel at 11:30 a.m., three male Hispanic suspects armed with a knife robbed him of his merchandise which was in a plain backpack. The suspects fled in a black KIA SUV.
Marietta, GA – October 20, 2009 – A salesperson was removing his line from the trunk of his car in the parking lot of a retail jeweler when he was surrounded by three male suspects who grabbed his line and fled.
Richmond, VA – October 14, 2009 - After making a sales call, a salesperson was walking to his car when he confronted by two male suspects wearing masks and armed with knives. They ordered him to lay face down in the parking lot and took his line and his cell phone. The suspects escaped in a silver minivan.
Green Acres, FL – October 13, 2009 – A retail jeweler was exiting his vehicle outside his store when two armed male suspects robbed him of cash and a wheeled bag containing melee, findings and customer goods.
 
John J. Kennedy, President, Jewelers' Security Alliance
 

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SECURITY ALERT!
 
 
This is brought to you as a WJA member service.  WJA just received information on the following incident that took place in Dubuque, Iowa recently.  The jeweler feels they could be moving around the Midwest.  Please take caution with Bank Cashiers Checks.
 
Last week a man came into the jewelry store and picked out a l ct diamond ring.  He came back the next day with a cashiers check to pay for it, which was worth about $9400. The check was phony and he got away with it at two other stores in Dubuque.  It was a group of 3 men.  One came in first and kept a sales clerk busy and two men came in a little later.  The guy who presented the check had a fake photo ID. 
 
At this time we do not have any additional information.  
 

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Here is more information on the Security First! Alert that was just sent out.  A member jeweler has pictures of the three men.  Please see attached.
 

Jewelers:  View images through the Wisconsin Jewelers Association, Security Alerts


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Wisconsin Jewelers Association

Gemological Institute of American, Alumni Association