Hey everyone- I'm a jewelry and gold buyer in Los Angeles new to the forum . We came across this fake Apmex bar a few months ago. Thought I'd share. Looks like the real deal, packaging, weight, everything. Keep an eye out!
Hey everyone- I'm a jewelry and gold buyer in Los Angeles new to the forum . We came across this fake Apmex bar a few months ago. Thought I'd share. Looks like the real deal, packaging, weight, everything. Keep an eye out!
First, welcome to the neighborhood @DGXJewelry ! For the benefit of others, here, who buy/stockpile bullion, how were you able to determine that it was a fake? Also, is the composition accurate, or is it fake gold as well? Chris
We had to cut it out of the packaging and did a scratch test and poured acid on it. Without doing that I'm not sure how to determine. Everything about it looks genuine.
X-ray defraction if available. First I would have done specific gravity. Scratching would be way down the list for me.
I noticed that you posted a duplicate thread to add "Gold" to the title. I've reported it so that both will be combined. For future reference, you could have used the tools at the top of your original thread to edit the title. Chris
I just watched a video about this very subject. Apparently these fake replicas are flooding in from China and onto ebay - and elsewhere - by the bucket load, and hundreds, if not thousands, of them have already been sold. Also, this isn't by any stretch of the imagination the only PM or coin product being faked; there is in fact a vast array of worthless imitations floating around out there.
TheFinn, posted: "Scratching would be way down the list for me." I agree. Nevertheless, it appears that you haven't been around many jewelers.
No doubt like the ones being offered last night at 5 for $6000 or 8 for $8800 -- out of Poland, not that there's anything specifically wrong with Poland. I'll sometimes jump on a BIN that lists silver or gold below spot, because sometimes the offers are legit. But 1-ounce gold bars are deep in my "never ever" zone at this point. The stakes are too high for me, mainly due to the risk that I won't be able to diagnose a fake in time to invoke Buyer Protection.