Anatomy of a Fraud

[max history]

......Black lights, burned corners, washing, rubbing, this all smacks of the early check fraud days not a honorable society of people who want to collect this material.

It's not the collectors, but the vultures who pray on them. Sadly, it is the society of collectors who are vulnerable.
Max.

[kaiserwilhelm2]

John, I am very sorry you got screwed! All fakers should burn in hell.

[InfanterieSammler]

Hi Guys,

I thought this would make for an interesting example.

The forum member who brokered the deal, has already made things right with me - a true gentleman. I believe that he was probably the initial target, he originally owned the group. I just hope that he has some recourse with the seller. I don't know if he knew this individual personally, but I have let him know about this thread if he wants to share anything he learns.

Just another day in the hobby.

Best,
John

[InfanterieSammler]

I want to thank Mr. Donovon for sharing this unbelievable assault on the collectors world? I am relatively new to the collection world and I have become so paranoid and so dissapointed with what people will do for a buck.

Is there any hope for someone like me getting into this hobby relatively new only 5 years? How can I be sure anything I get is ligit? At some point you do have to trust people, right?

I started out collecting KC sigs, Ace's, etc....
I really want to start collecting documents and Solbuchs, Wehrpas etc, but how can I start? Where does someone like me go to find a genuine authentic items that I can be compfortable knowing that what I am holding in my hand is what it is suppose to be?

Black lights, burned corners, washing, rubbing, this all smacks of the early check fraud days not a honorable society of people who want to collect this material.

Matt Help?

Hi Matt,

This is just par for the course. Anything and everything is faked in this hobby. The key is arming yourself with enough knowledge and resources so that you can make the right decisions. A little paranoia in this hobby is a good thing.

My best advice is to remain active on the document/ID forums. There is a wealth of knowledge that is shared by all the members. Also start collecting with some basic paper items first - postcards, photos, inexpensive Soldbücher/Wehrpäße, etc. This will give you a good feel for the documents and how they should look. You will start to develop an eye for what to look for. When in doubt, ask questions.

Good Luck!
John

[WEISNER]

CRIMINAL ACT ASIDE.. The real bugger about this is that the vet who was wounded and received the document had his name erased from history!
There is not a word to describe this counterfeitter, I hope one day He gets what He deserves!

Kevin