There is an ever-growing market in sport memorabilia, and sports-related keepsakes include signed commemorative photos, baseballs, footballs, basketballs, pucks and jerseys. A Google listing of corporations hawking these items produces almost five million business sites! A few of the items on offer cost thousands of dollars.
Where there are so many eager and gullible customers, con artists are sure to show up. A San Diego federal judge who recently sentenced many sports autograph forgers to prison said, “Life, liberty and the pursuit of the national pastime, has been undone”. The prosecution stemmed from an FBI investigation called Operation Bullpen, which closed down a professional criminal organization that forged and sold sports goods enhanced with bogus autographs. Sixty search warrants were served, more than two dozen forgers arrested, and a warehouse with ten million dollars worth of fake merchandise was seized. The ring leaders received three years in prison and loss of assets to the IRS. Both current and faux “antique” items were involved.
Any sports fan who has a signed souvenir would be wise to question its authenticity. Phil...
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