[meteorite-list] New Thread regarding scams

[Richard Montgomery]

Hi List,

It is no debate that scams should be recognized and exposed, and shared on 
this List...yet pending un-intended consequences (liable lawsuits and false 
accusations) will weigh heavily upon us all if they are in fact ill 
conceived and recklessly tossed about.

Our objective is to maintain integrity....and the majority of participants 
here have more than a rudimentary knowledge in things meteoritic, and know 
already when a sham is under way.  This recent suggestion of a blacked-list 
of scammers is currently directed at all of us, yet not yet directed to the 
un-informed, and therefore really doesn't reach those new to 
meteorites...(they are also most likely not members of this List and our 
discussions...hence the dillema.)

I suggest that we simply alert the rest of the community when suspect 
substitutes or outright fraud appears.  Simple as it seems, word of mouth, 
or word of List, will alert us.  And then we'll investigate it.  En route, 
keep the culprit at bay.

En route, I don't see an upside to pointing out fraudsters in a 
formal-format-published-list, since the potential downside would only 
further the fire;  also potentially harm an already fragile public opinion. 
Remember that most newbie eBayers aren't even aware of this discussion, nor 
of the List and this thread.

Yes, this is a big problem if fraudulent eBay listings spawn and infect 
collections.  What to do, besides writing individual opinions to those 
infected?

Some thoughts:  Pointing out fraudulent people is much more volitile than 
pointing out meteorwongs, and miss-labled true specimens (although, the 
Mifflin case may offer a compelling counter to this suggestion) since 
meteoritic knowledge speaks volumes on its own.

So, I suggest we follow a true path to a solution to an ongoing issue: 
spread knowledge of our meteorites, and avoid getting trapped in the 
process.

-Richard Montgomery