How to Spot a Stamp Collection Scam

One of the growing areas of concern for stamp collectors is avoiding the problems of fraudulent stamp sellers offering forgeries and fakes on auction sites, especially on eBay. While stamp scams can sometimes occur at shows or shops, it is most prevalent in online sales, as the merchandise is being represented virtually. A listing may describe a stamp to have qualities above the actual grade, or pictures might not be for the stamp actually sent.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn all you can about the stamp(s) being offered. Are there look-alikes, especially lower-value look-alikes? Are there easy ways to modify one of these look-alikes to fool potential buyers?

2. Never consider bidding on a stamp if there isn't a picture of stamp; preferably, both the front and the back of the stamp. Never consider a stamp if the seller's feedback rating isn't at 99 percent. Read all the negative feedback for the seller. How they handle problems is as important as the seller's overall reliability for the items sold.

3. Compare the picture with the description. Does the seller adequately describe visible faults and tears? Does the seller over-embellish the quality of the stamp in any way? Does the picture of the stamp reveal any alterations to the cancellations or perforations that have been re-done? If you're not certain, ask an expert to look at the scan. If you're not satisfied, don't bid.

4. Check the seller's credentials. If he claims to be a member of the American Philatelic Society (APS), go to their site (see Resources) and look up their membership details. These are available right on their site; you can get a sense of the seller's credibility and also file a complaint on anyone who is a member and has failed to do business honestly.

5. Understand the seller's policies on returns. If the seller has no return policy or is selling the stamp "as is," don't bid. Also, if the return policy only allows for a few days to return the stamp, be wary, as that short a time is probably so that you have no time to get the stamp professionally examined.

6. Look for examples of common forgery techniques to be able to spot common problems. The most common forgeries are modifications of inexpensive look-alike stamps to look like their high-value cousins. Changes to perforations, ink, gum and other alterations can fool even experts at a casual glance.

7. Contact the seller if you have any questions or if you'd like to look at a better scan of the stamp or if there is no scan of the back of the stamp included.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are looking to buy a high catalog value stamp, it's worth buying it from a reputable dealer, where you can examine the stamp in person and can and get a expert certificate. Even if an auction appears to be saving a huge amount over the catalog value, the piece of mind of getting an authentic stamp is worth the extra dollars.
• Knowledge is the best weapon for spotting scams. Be wary and use common sense. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

References

• Stamp Collectors Against Dodgy Sellers (SCADS)
• American Philatelic Society (APS)
• Examples of Alterations and Fakes