[meteorite-list] Ebay Fraud - steelhorse1994, bfr475 and adrian332010

From: Michael Gilmer <*meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com*> Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 15:38:34 -0400 Message-ID: <CAKBPJW-2Hk+rK6oWOiK31rHpE2Mc4cwbouvCkvaaJLPACvmPLg_at_mail.gmail.com> · meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com

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On 5/9/12, Maria Haas <dragonsoup at msn.com> wrote:
>
> Hello All,
>
> As expected, the fake (NWA 4925) and potentially fake (NWA 4881 and NWA
> 4734) material is being sold by other sellers now.
>
> Seller bfr475 in Blue Mound, IL USA:
> http://www.ebay.com/sch/Rocks-Fossils-Minerals-/3213/i.html?item=251057332565&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a742ee155&_ssn=bfr475
>
> adrian332010 in Ontario, Canada:
> http://www.ebay.com/sch/Rocks-Fossils-Minerals-/3213/i.html?item=260963123019&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item3cc29d3f4b&_ssn=adrian332010
>
> See updated webpage with examples of the front and reverse sides of the
> boxes here:
> http://www.impactika.com/steelhorse1994.pdf
>
> Again, if anyone has purchased pieces of NWA 4881 and NWA 4734 in these
> boxes marked with "American Meteorite Collector's Society Authenticity
> Guaranteed" on the reverse side, please let me know. One of our very kind
> and generous scientists has offered to do the analysis on these other two
> for us and I'd rather not have to purchase them from these sellers.
>
> Please feel free to contact me with questions.
>
> Thank you,
> Maria Haas
> Treasurer
> I.M.C.A., Inc.
> www.IMCA.cc
> Member #5520
>
>
>> From: dragonsoup at msn.com
>> To: dragonsoup at msn.com
>> Date: Sun, 6 May 2012 18:14:48 -0700
>> Subject: [meteorite-list] Ebay Fraud - steelhorse1994
>>
>>
>> Dear Fellow Members of the Meteorite Community,
>>
>> I have bad news about some material introduced to the market through an
>> eBay seller named steelhorse1994.
>>
>> An enthusiastic IMCA applicant named Daniel Noyes bought some supposed NWA
>> 4925 from eBay seller steelhorse1994. The material is packaged a lot like
>> Chladni's Mars and Moon boxes (except they are square instead of
>> rectangular) and I am sure that is by design. The red flag for the
>> applicant was the reverse side of the box where it said, "American
>> Meteorite Collector's Society Authenticity Guaranteed". Of course, there
>> is no such association. Steelhorse1994 is also selling what he is calling
>> NWA 4881 and NWA 4734 in the same packaging.
>>
>> The reverse side of the box is not being shown in the auctions so you'll
>> have to study the picture to identify these boxes. A webpage is being
>> prepared to show all three boxes from the front and an example of the
>> reverse side. For now, this page has a picture of the front and back of
>> the NWA 4925 box. When the other page is ready, I'll post that as well.
>>
>> You can see what the boxes look like here:
>> http://www.impactika.com/steelhorse1994.jpg
>>
>> Now the really bad news... Daniel sent the material to Dr. Randy Koretov
>> for examination and his preliminary analysis reads as follows:
>>
>>    Dear Mr. Noyes:
>>
>>    I have preliminary compositional data for your alleged martian. I
>>    can say on the basis of that data the rock is definitely NOT any kind
>>    of meteorite. It's a terrestrial rock.
>>
>>    I'll send you the final data in about 3 weeks.
>>
>>    Randy Korotev
>>
>> I had been in contact with steelhorse1994 before I knew about the
>> analysis. His name is Max and he told me he purchased the material in a
>> bulk lot a few months ago and cannot remember who he purchased it from. I
>> don't know if he is the perpetrator or not. I have emailed with him a few
>> times and he seemed honest but the fact remains he is still selling FAKE
>> material. No analysis of NWA 4881 and NWA 4734 have been done but their
>> authenticity is also guaranteed by the "American Meteorite Collectors
>> Society" and may also be FAKE. Please beware. I count 193 of these boxes
>> having been sold just since the middle of February. Several of us have
>> already contacted eBay to have the remaining auctions pulled. I have
>> followed every lead I could find to trace these boxes back to whomever put
>> them together and I got nowhere. If you know anything about where they
>> came from, I would welcome the information.
>>
>> I would like to be clear that these boxes, sold by DANOVANNI, at
>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUTHENTICATED-MOON-MARS-METEORITES-2-Premium-Rock-Art-Displays-w-Easels-/130690281958
>> ARE authentic and are NOT part of the fraud.
>>
>> If any of you have already purchased any of this bogus and potentially
>> bogus material, the IMCA would like one of the NWA 4881 and NWA 4734 boxes
>> from this seller for analysis. Please contact me about that and any
>> questions or concerns.
>>
>> Please keep an eye out for this fake material and lets put our heads
>> together to get them out of the meteorite market.
>>
>> A big thank you to Daniel Noyes!
>>
>> Best wishes,
>> Maria Haas
>> Treasurer
>> I.M.C.A., Inc.
>> www.IMCA.cc
>> Member #5520
>>  		 	   		
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