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Seeking Advice: Natural Fancy Vivid Pink verification/transport

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jul 31, 2014
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18,031
Yeah, this is a scam, plain and simple. You cannot "figure this out yourself", you need to involve the authorities. I cannot possibly imagine why you would be hesitant to involve them, since you were literally scammed out of 23 thousand dollars!!!! That is a ton of money, and he (at this point) stole it from you. You have no diamond, and no money. That is theft.
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I just googled this nonsense, and easily found his name, and the Yelp and BBB complaint. He appears to respond if you threaten to file a BBB complaint. I would tell him you are filling one if you don't get either your diamond or your money back in full.
 

pinkjewel

Ideal_Rock
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Aug 1, 2011
Messages
2,362
Yikes- this does not sound good at all. When you set up the meeting 2 years ago- did you actually see your diamond? I am hoping this same diamond was not sold numerous times to different people as an "investment". GIA is definitely the best lab for FCDs so I wouldn't trust his lab at all. They have the best instruments for testing to make sure they are legit. I would also be hopping on a plane to retrieve my diamond in person- with a loupe and camera with macro capabilities.
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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27,198
Do you guys remember the thread about the PSer who was trying to help her elderly neighbors who had invested a couple of hundred thousand of dollars
in this same situation? The person who had the stones said that they couldnt sell them because they were not in jewelry and wanted more money to put
the stones in jewelry so they could be sold. The PSer was trying to keep her neighbors from sending the guy any more money but I believe they went
ahead and did it anywaysad :((. Dont know how it ever got resolved but it definitely sounded like a scam. So sad. (dont hold me to the exact numbers on
how much they had invested because it was a while ago).
 

rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
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If the diamond is in his possession ay all, his need to declare you are the sole owner is either trying to get the many owners in a civil suit against each other, or its stolen or listed stolen by someone and you'd take the fall. Call the RCMP.
 

LinSF

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 21, 2018
Messages
511
That the owner is involved in a new scheme using the blockchain to market fine diamonds is a HUGE red flag. I have been closer to this business than I would like to be, and I can tell you that I wouldn't trust someone who leaps on blockchain to make a dollar, especially in the diamond industry which is considered to be a high risk industry per US regulation and subject to increased scrutiny for money laundering. I hate to think you were scammed, but you need to act quickly to retrieve your asset at this point. Returning your diamond immediately would be acting in good faith- I get that you don't wish to bash the owner, but your action will potentially protect others from financial loss.
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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That the owner is involved in a new scheme using the blockchain to market fine diamonds is a HUGE red flag. I have been closer to this business than I would like to be, and I can tell you that I wouldn't trust someone who leaps on blockchain to make a dollar, especially in the diamond industry which is considered to be a high risk industry per US regulation and subject to increased scrutiny for money laundering. I hate to think you were scammed, but you need to act quickly to retrieve your asset at this point. Returning your diamond immediately would be acting in good faith- I get that you don't wish to bash the owner, but your action will potentially protect others from financial loss.
I highly doubt Mr Ferguson has OPs diamond, or ever had it. I likely sold the same stone to tons of people and is a scammer. This is even more likely given his recent "ventures".
 

Lovesparklesparle

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Whatever the fallout from this scumbags actions is, it’s % due to his actions, not yours or anyone else’s. Do not feel guilty for making every effort to recover your assets. He is exploiting people’s good nature and desire to NOT hurt other people, but I say screw him. I’d go after him with everything I had.

I agree you most definitely should not take any action without legal counsel. No doubt everything he (a conman) asks you to do has an ulterior motivation to swindle and manipulate you.

Ask for a full refund of your purchase price and be done with it. I doubt it will be this easy but I would be dubious he would send you the diamond noted on the certificate.

What a situation, I hope this can be resolved in your favour. As someone who has been defrauded myself, I feel your anguish.
 

Lovesparklesparle

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I hate to think what people invested and lost on crypto. I’ve heard of people extending credit lines, remortgaging the house, investing way more than could possibly afford etc to buy bitcoin, with the belief they will get rich quick like the ads said.
 

OoohShiny

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I highly doubt Mr Ferguson has OPs diamond, or ever had it. I likely sold the same stone to tons of people and is a scammer. This is even more likely given his recent "ventures".
I think you meant to say 'He'... ?? :lol:
 

MollyMalone

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Dear Advisors,
Thank you again for your generous input and advice with my situation. I would rather resolve this matter myself than moving forward with legal counsel and the Canadian authorities. * * *
So, I know my diamond is not worth near what I paid for, but I obviously want it back, bc it is an Argyle .23 natural fancy vivid purplish pink w.GIA inscription. And I don't want to get scammed again with him sending me something else.
I hope this clarifies the situation. Again, if any further ideas or questions arise, I would appreciate your insights into this pickle.
HI, Grateful:wavey:
Most of my professional life has been as an Assistant District Attorney (prosecutor) in NYC. I know that fraud victims are often reluctant to go to the authorities because they feel embarrassed/ashamed. (And scammers count on their victims feeling that way.) If that's the reason for your reluctance, please let me assure you that no one in law enforcement will be rolling their eyes, passing judgment. It's the scheming, deceitful, financial con artists whom law enforcement has no patience-empathy for.

But there may be another reason you're trying to resolve this on your own: perhaps you've been threatened... maybe not with bodily harm, but rather, you've been told that your private cooperation is the only chance you have for a quasi-satisfactory outcome. Or maybe you're not been told that, but that's the conclusion you've reached on your own.

If you're hesitant to involve anyone else (besides us Internet strangers) because you think doing so will ruin your chances of seeing either the diamond or the almost $26Gs you paid, I hope you'll reconsider this. The reality is (and please know that I'm saying this with warm kindness) that if he had the intention to deliver the diamond or your money, he would have done so -- and would not be giving you directions for those hoops to jump through. (He's apparently not even claiming that those steps are required by your initial sales/investment agreement). The hoops make no sense from your perspective, or that of an honest dealer, and as @rockysalamander has said, you might find yourself jammed up legally were you to accede to his instructions.

I would not, however, "cold call" the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Think it's always better, whenever possible, to have someone in the law enforcement community facilitate contact for something like this -- and the RCMP's Contact page itself says they want a referral for RCMP assistance to come from your local police department:
http://www.rcmp.gc.ca/cont/index-eng.htm

I used to have a contact in the LA District Attorney's Office; I'll check to see if he's still there, and if so, get the name-number of whom he suggests. So, I'll post back tomorrow or Thursday.

P.S. That's not GIA's inscription on your diamond because it doesn't correspond to the lab report number, 16216475, and isn't preceded by GIA. It's Argyle Pink Diamonds' "logo"/trademark symbol in front of the 324580. Although the Argyle certificate 324580 depicted in your post is dated January 2, 2008 & Argyle says its online database begins with diamonds sold after January 1, 20089
https://argylepinkdiamonds.com.au/diamond-check
324580 is in that database & the stats seen in the PDF that's generated after you plug in that number correspond to what you've posted.
 

Karl_K

Super_Ideal_Rock
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The reason I recommended contacting RCMP directly it sounds to me like most of the alleged possible criminal activity took place in Canada so getting local law enforcement in the US interested is not going to be easy.
The RCMP can advise you on what they want you to do.
They are very professional and very friendly so if it was me I would just talk to them.
The worst that can happen is they tell you to contact your local law enforcement and have them contact them.
If it was all within Canada they would require you to go through your local police first and my advise would be different.
My thoughts are that the word US,diamond and the amount is going to draw their attention.
 
Last edited:

kmoro

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
1,081
HI, Grateful:wavey:

P.S. That's not GIA's inscription on your diamond because it doesn't correspond to the lab report number, 16216475, and isn't preceded by GIA. It's Argyle Pink Diamonds' "logo"/trademark symbol in front of the 324580. Although the Argyle certificate 324580 depicted in your post is dated January 2, 2008 & Argyle says its online database begins with diamonds sold after January 1, 20089
https://argylepinkdiamonds.com.au/diamond-check
324580 is in that database & the stats seen in the PDF that's generated after you plug in that number correspond to what you've posted.

Hope you don’t mind me chiming in .... the argyle website says the database for .20 and up started Jan. 1, 2005 ...at least that is not as bad as at first thought.

Also, I doubt the RCMP would be bothered at all if you contacted them .... they may even be onto these guys already. A simple info gathering call is all you want to start with anyway ... they may be more than a little interested in what you have to say, but you’re likely not ready to do anything like lay charges. I’m in Canada and can vouch that they’re friendly and will want to help.

In the meantime, I would suggest being careful what you say about them in public - make sure you stick to facts only.

Good luck in getting your diamond!
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
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Jan 22, 2014
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6,532
Oh my goodness, what a nightmare for you.
Do not send him any stat decs or copies or originals of documents without seeking legal advice.
Do you want your $26k / your diamond back?
If yes, sitting back, being nice and patient and waiting for him to send you your diamond ISNT going to result in your diamond turning up or your $26k refunded. You have to take action to either get your money, your diamond or him held accountable.
The positive thing is that the GIA report you hold and Arygle document are genuine and relate to a real .23 carat pink diamond, which incidentally is worth quite a bit more than you paid for it BUT does this piece of sh** actually hold your diamond?
I am just so mad for you, I hate these bullsh** scammers, taking advantage of people, $26K is ALOT of money, hard earnt money, YOUR money.
I hope that you can get some compensation or failing that - get this guy nailed where it hurts!
 

kmoro

Brilliant_Rock
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I just found a review of Carats by someone who bought a pink diamond from Colin Ferguson. The person got his diamond back. He complained that the company did not sell it for him and that it’s impossible for him to do it. He wanted his money back but is stuck with the diamond.
So he got his diamond.
I really think the lab report is for some sort of appraisal so that the diamond can be insured crossing the border. *shrug*
 

Matilda

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2018
Messages
467
My heart really goes out for you. I seriously hope you can get the courage to take the advise given to you here. Also IF the diamond has not been sold and IF you get it back, I do think you will have a good chance of reselling it yourself for what you paid originally if not more. I hope that gives you another nudge to sort out this situation. GOOD LUCK!
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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Apr 25, 2014
Messages
8,228
I just found a review of Carats by someone who bought a pink diamond from Colin Ferguson. The person got his diamond back. He complained that the company did not sell it for him and that it’s impossible for him to do it. He wanted his money back but is stuck with the diamond.
So he got his diamond.
I really think the lab report is for some sort of appraisal so that the diamond can be insured crossing the border. *shrug*
That could be written by the chap himself, on the basis that he can now say 'look how lucky you are - I have a buyer just for you!' to the next unsuspecting victim!
 

Gem Queen

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
548
This is terrible. My In-laws got scammed for about $75,000 in a gold mine scheme.
regarding diamind mine, i do happen to work for Los Angeles Superior Court. If you could tell me who to contact, I may be able to get her somewhere. Just a thought.




QUOTE="MollyMalone, post: 4474275, member: 70353"]HI, Grateful:wavey:
Most of my professional life has been as an Assistant District Attorney (prosecutor) in NYC. I know that fraud victims are often reluctant to go to the authorities because they feel embarrassed/ashamed. (And scammers count on their victims feeling that way.) If that's the reason for your reluctance, please let me assure you that no one in law enforcement will be rolling their eyes, passing judgment. It's the scheming, deceitful, financial con artists whom law enforcement has no patience-empathy for.

But there may be another reason you're trying to resolve this on your own: perhaps you've been threatened... maybe not with bodily harm, but rather, you've been told that your private cooperation is the only chance you have for a quasi-satisfactory outcome. Or maybe you're not been told that, but that's the conclusion you've reached on your own.

If you're hesitant to involve anyone else (besides us Internet strangers) because you think doing so will ruin your chances of seeing either the diamond or the almost $26Gs you paid, I hope you'll reconsider this. The reality is (and please know that I'm saying this with warm kindness) that if he had the intention to deliver the diamond or your money, he would have done so -- and would not be giving you directions for those hoops to jump through. (He's apparently not even claiming that those steps are required by your initial sales/investment agreement). The hoops make no sense from your perspective, or that of an honest dealer, and as @rockysalamander has said, you might find yourself jammed up legally were you to accede to his instructions.

I would not, however, "cold call" the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Think it's always better, whenever possible, to have someone in the law enforcement community facilitate contact for something like this -- and the RCMP's Contact page itself says they want a referral for RCMP assistance to come from your local police department:
http://www.rcmp.gc.ca/cont/index-eng.htm

I used to have a contact in the LA District Attorney's Office; I'll check to see if he's still there, and if so, get the name-number of whom he suggests. So, I'll post back tomorrow or Thursday.

P.S. That's not GIA's inscription on your diamond because it doesn't correspond to the lab report number, 16216475, and isn't preceded by GIA. It's Argyle Pink Diamonds' "logo"/trademark symbol in front of the 324580. Although the Argyle certificate 324580 depicted in your post is dated January 2, 2008 & Argyle says its online database begins with diamonds sold after January 1, 20089
https://argylepinkdiamonds.com.au/diamond-check
324580 is in that database & the stats seen in the PDF that's generated after you plug in that number correspond to what you've posted.[/QUOTE]
 

mrs-b

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Aug 18, 2013
Messages
11,542
I get the feeling, tho, that OP is long gone....

So sad for him. :(
 

partgypsy

Ideal_Rock
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Messages
6,622
See if person is willing to mail purchased diamond to his "3rd party independent verification lab" - CGL-GRS Canadian Gemlabs" and then have that lab mail it directly to GIA for verification. If so I would do that. Because it has a clear hands off, you can determine if this is the same diamond that was sold to you.
If he is not willing to do that, and do that asap, I would involve the authorities, to apply more formal pressure to get your monies back. I have no idea what this person or companies ethics are, but I would want to get your money back before they close company, declare bankruptcy, do something else to avoid paying people back.
 

Indylady

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
5,717
Wow, this is pretty sick! Reminds me of the Natural Sapphire Company's CEO, Michael Arndt, though that was a totally different situation and type of fraud.

Lots of great collective wisdom here, and good luck to you OP.
 

James Speed

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Messages
1
There are a couple of scams that might be relevant - the first is to take a Diamond and have it GIA certified. The laser inscription is then removed and the stone re-certified. The result is having a bunch of certificates and just one stone, which would work with this alleged scam of selling the same stone multiple times.

The other way this works is where the scammer is also a cutter with a laser enscriber and they can pass off lower quality diamonds with a genuine GIA certificate. (Have a 1.00ct VS1 certified, then enscribe the GIA number on a 1.00ct SI1)

Finally, there was a scam here in Australia where you bought barells of fine whisky for a few grand each, and they wrote your name on it. Five years later when it had matured, it was sold & the profit split. Sound familiar?! The distiller sold half the barrells early, scrubbed names off & didn’t fill half the barrels.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-09/hundreds-of-nant-whisky-barrels-never-filled-audit/8338106

Good luck - I agree with the others - show up & demand your stone - then failing that have a stiff whiskey - not Nant.
 

MollyMalone

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 2, 2013
Messages
3,413
P.S. That's not GIA's inscription on your diamond because it doesn't correspond to the lab report number, 16216475, and isn't preceded by GIA. It's Argyle Pink Diamonds' "logo"/trademark symbol in front of the 324580. Although the Argyle certificate 324580 depicted in your post is dated January 2, 2008 & Argyle says its online database begins with diamonds sold after January 1, 20089
https://argylepinkdiamonds.com.au/diamond-check
324580 is in that database & the stats seen in the PDF that's generated after you plug in that number correspond to what you've posted.
Hope you don’t mind me chiming in .... the argyle website says the database for .20 and up started Jan. 1, 2005 ...at least that is not as bad as at first thought.
* * *
Yep, Argyle Pink Diamonds reports they've been inscribing diamonds that are .20 carat and more since 2005. The reason I was pleasantly surprised to see the January 2, 2008 report in the Diamond Check online database is because APD twice declares, on the webpage setting forth the inscription timelines
https://argylepinkdiamonds.com.au/authenticity
and the webpage I linked, that it's laser-inscribed diamonds sold by APD from January 1, 2009, onwards which are in the online database. It is at least somewhat reassuring to know that APD has a record re the same diamond described by the GIA report, so the diamond exists somewhere. Because the GIA report Grateful posted at #29 looks to be a photocopy, not the original laminated report, I was thinking it was possible that Grateful had been given a totally forged GIA report.
* * * I really think the lab report is for some sort of appraisal so that the diamond can be insured crossing the border. *shrug*
Maybe under other circumstances, but that's not the reason Ferguson has given @Grateful4UrWisdom . He's saying that another lab report -- to be paid for by Grateful -- is necessary for "verification" purposes. That makes no sense where the diamond purportedly in his custody has been laser inscribed -- and there's a GIA report documenting the laser inscription.
 

MollyMalone

Ideal_Rock
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This is terrible. My In-laws got scammed for about $75,000 in a gold mine scheme.
regarding diamind mine, i do happen to work for Los Angeles Superior Court. If you could tell me who to contact, I may be able to get her somewhere. Just a thought.
Oh that's great, Gem Queen! My holiday vacation has been extended another day, but I'll touch bases here when I get back home.

@Grateful4UrWisdom , I understand that you wouldn't want to identify where exactly you live, but would you confirm that you live in LA County?
 

Dancing Fire

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