How To Spot An Illegal Script Or Forgery On EBAY

Most dealers advertisting "COPIES" or "REPRINTS" are selling bootleg illegal copies of copyrighted items. Be careful of this scam because many are also associated with illegal forgeries!

How to spot a forgery on Ebay and frequently asked questions on what to do if you have been the victim of a forgery scam.

The police, FBI and Professional Autographed Dealers Association estimates
that 90-98% of the A-list Hollywood Celebrity autographs on Ebay are forgeries or are in some way counterfeit. There is now a firestorm of 20,000-30,000 forgeries, counterfeits and illegal copyrighted items being sold every few weeks. It has become a multimillion dollar business.

Beware of Ebay Dealers with a GOOD feedback rating. That’s right a GOOD feedback rating! The FBI warns that most forgery dealers have good feedback ratings often in the thousands. Just because a dealer shows a good feedback rating does NOT mean the item is authentic, all it means is the dealer has sent out an item in a timely manner. Forgers are very manipulative and will use good “customer service” to mask the fact they are selling forgeries.
Beware of Dealers with a lot of inventory. Celebrities sign a very limited number of items every year. Dealers who claim to have dozens or even hundreds of items from the same celebrity or film production are most likely selling forgeries.
Beware of dealers selling items like scripts or photos that are REPRINTS or COPIES. First, many of theses items are copies of forgeries and Second, most of the items are ILLEGAL copies of copyrighted motion picture and television photos and scripts. If you buy one of these item it is just like buying a bootleg copy of a movie, it’s illegal and you could be held liable so stay away from these dealers. If you want to buy an authorized script copy contact the studio to purchase an authentic copy (not an illegal one).
Watch out for "Listing Tricks": Watch out for listing tricks that sellers use to get out of legal responsibility for selling you a forgery. If an item says “Autographed Photo of Angelina Jolie” They are not claiming the item is SIGNED BY Angelina, they are only claiming that somebody signed it.
Watch out for fuzzy photos and unclear signatures: There are problems with both clear and fuzzy photos. A clever forger may show a picture of an authentic autograph and sell you a false one. Other dealers buy directly from forgers who come close enough to the real signature that they proudly display the forgery with a crystal clear photo. But a dealer who won’t even show a clear photo or clear signature is definitely suspect and probably avoided.
Watch out for Trick Certificates of Authenticity: COA’s can be printed on any paper by anyone unless the COA specifically holds legal claims that the item is real and the person takes legal responsibility. If it is otherwise the COA is just a trick and false sense of security. Insist that a COA has a live signature and the person claiming legal responsibility’s name is printed clearly under the signature. Make sure the COA states that the item is a legal original autograph signed BY the celebrity in question and that further the photo and or script the signature is printed on is authorized by copyright and trademark laws and by the owner of the trademark.
Don’t buy from dealers who will NOT allow you to authenticate the item before you send the money: Make sure the seller has a notice in their listing that allows winning bidders to authenticate the item before the buyer send payment. A seller who does not offer this service is probably trying to trick you into buying the item. A money back guarantee is not enough because a forger will make off with your money.
Google Ebay Seller forgery lists: Consumer Advocates have set up lists of Ebay sellers who are thought to be selling forgeries. Check out the lists and make sure you aren’t buying from one. X-LIST ect..

WHAT TO DO IF YOU PURCHASED A FORGERY OR ILLEGAL COPYRIGHTED ITEM?

1) Immediately contact the police and file a report. Your local police department is required to take the report and they will be forwarded to the district of the seller. DO NOT let the police department tell you only to report it to EBay because Ebay does not have the authority to press criminal charges. If criminal charges are brought the seller may be required to pay restitution and refund all the victims money. A criminal court order can NOT be bankrupted so it is a legal judgment that the convicted criminal is required to pay.
2) After filing a police report then report the incident to Ebay’s Fraud Department and submit the police report number.
3) Leave negative feedback on the seller to warn other buyers.
4) Contact the studio and celebrity and provide the police report number.
5) Contact Paypal or your Credit Card and initiate a dispute to get your money back.

Finally, in your letters to the studios and celebrities formally request that they implement a forgery prevention program. The FBI has suggested a forgery prevention program to the studios and celebrities using a tamperproof holographic label and it will virtually SHUT DOWN forgeries and illegal copies. It only costs a few pennies but the studios and celebrities are waiting for the public to show interest in forgery prevention so your voice definitely makes a difference.


To contact the celebrities regarding forgeries address to:

Screen Actors Guild
Forgery Prevention
Alan Rosenberg; President
5757 Wilshire Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90036-3600

FAX NUMBER: (323) 549-6677

FBI Contact Information:
Forgery Program is called Operation Bullpen
san.diego Telephone: (858) 565-1255