**UPDATE** July 8, 2009 – We have received confirmation that this is no longer the Midwest’s problem. Cases have been reported on both coasts. This is nationwide. – MKuhl

There has been a rash of credit card scammers buying Macs in the midwest, with reports coming from several states. The M.O. is to place a cell phone call to their issuing bank, who is actually a friend and give a false authorization code. This one is easy, it only affects retail owners and employees. Solution: only authorization numbers from their own merchant services should be accepted. If the scammers realize we’re onto them, they may switch to a different product, so be on the lookout. Never take an authorization number from a customer’s phone.

Pioneer DVJ1000 DVD player

Serial Number GAMP001266UC

Police Report  – 09-09851

Highland Park Illinois Police Department (847) 432-7730

This instrument has been reported stolen. If you see this instrument, think of your safety first. We advise you not to purchase the item from anyone claiming to be the owner. If you feel safe with pursuing it further, contact your local law enforcement, referencing the above case number.

Our goal at Gearsecure.net has always been to have a web site that serves both community and business, and gives greater functionality and exposure to our core purpose of loss prevention and recovery. The site as it exists now has been successful at developing community and awareness, but it is now time to take the next step and build our planned web application. We need your help in funding this, and our exposure in the industry. We’re asking for a small donation of only $5 towards our goal of $5,000. Click the “Donate” button to give via paypal.

The following were stolen from a home in California, in the Fresno – Tulare county area:

1  Apple G5 – Dual with 4 gig RAM – Serial Number YM339JL9PFX
1  Ipod Video 80 gig – Serial Number 8K7250AHV9R
1  Boss BR1180 – 40 gig – Serial Number ZP84238
1  Tascam DR01- 8 gig flash – Serial Number 0052145
1  Tascam FW1082 – Serial Number 040109

Also stolen, but serial numbers unknown, were:

1  Gateway YGR600 Laptop
1  AKG Perception 200 microphone
1  Yamaha RBX765A 5 String Bass – Red with Gold hardware
1  Johnson 6 String Acoustic – Blue burst
1  Direct Sound Iso Headphones
1  Marshall JCM2000 Footswitch

Police Report #09-08874
Visalia, CA Police Department
(559) 734-8116

This instrument has been reported stolen. If you see this instrument, think of your safety first. We advise you not to purchase the item from anyone claiming to be the owner. If you feel safe with pursuing it further, contact your local law enforcement, referencing the above case number.

Our goal at Gearsecure.net has always been to have a web site that serves both community and business, and gives greater functionality and exposure to our core purpose of loss prevention and recovery. The site as it exists now has been successful at developing community and awareness, but it is now time to take the next step and build our planned web application. We need your help in funding this, and our exposure in the industry. We’re asking for a small donation of only $5 towards our goal of $5,000. Click the “Donate” button to give via paypal.

We found a site the other day that sells counterfeit guitars of many major manufacturers, calling them “Ibanez Style” or “Classic Style” in the case of Gibson. We’re usually interested in giving a very detailed point by point look at a guitar if we happen to have one in our hands, but in this case, we don’t. We have just a few photos that aren’t all that detailed. In this case, I’ve going to give you an idea of what we’d look at if we saw a guitar we suspected was a fake. Understand that these guitars are rarely seen in guitar shops. Dealers deal direct with the manufacturer or authorized distributor. These counterfeits make it into the market by direct order from consumer to the counterfeiter or via unofficial channels such as eBay. As always, if you discover an eBay seller is dealing counterfeits, you can notify us at Gearsecure, and we’ll publicize it across our social network, get in contact with the manufacturer and do what we can to stop the practice.

I’m not going to tell you the domain. We don’t want to give these guys any advertising or traffic. Rest assured we’ll be contacting our contacts at the manufacturers in question to make sure they are aware of the site.

No surprise the site in question originates in China. Undoubtedly some of these instruments are in the wild around the world, including the U.S. When you read the site, you can tell that the copy is written by somebody who isn’t a native English speaker, though the grammar isn’t horrible. There’s hardly any Engrish to make fun of, though the copy is far from brilliant or professional.

Continue reading