American Philatelic Society warns members of new scam

By Linn’s Staff

The American Philatelic Society reports that an apparent fraud was attempted by individuals misrepresenting themselves as APS staff.

In a “scam alert” email sent Aug. 12, the society said those individuals “requested payment in advance for selling the collection of the man who received the call.”

The scam caller provided phone numbers that were connected to a faked APS voicemail recording, the society reported.

The APS has been in contact with local law enforcement in response to this event, and posted the following reminders in its email.

1. The APS does not purchase stamp collections. The APS will never make an unsolicited call or offer to members or nonmembers, or pressure anyone to make an immediate decision or payment.

2. All official APS correspondence occurs through the phone number 814-933-3803 and the stamps.org email domain.

3. Anyone receiving a suspicious call that they believe might not be from the American Philatelic Society is encouraged to hang up and call the society back at its official phone number.

The society also said that anyone receiving an email claiming to be from the APS, the American Philatelic Research Library, APS staff or the APS board should check the email address carefully to make sure that it is from stamps.org.

“Be especially careful if the email asks for sensitive information (like credit card information, birth dates, social security number, or passwords) or directs you to an external link,” the society noted.

The APS report stated that the society is happy to respond to inquiries on a dealer or individual’s APS member status.

“If you are looking for someone to buy your collection, we suggest visiting our member dealer directory,” the APS message advised.

Many phone users are aware that caller ID information on phones can be faked, and the name and number displayed might not be accurate.

“Do not be pressured into anything,” the APS suggested. “If you are told the offer will not be good if you don’t act immediately, walk away from it.”

The society asks that anyone who has experienced a similar scam attempt contact APS chief membership officer Ken Martin at kpmartin@stamps.org.

You can also reach the APS by calling 814-933-3803, or write to American Philatelic Society, 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823.

Additional details regarding the scam attempt are currently posted on the society’s website.

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