Newsletter of the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences
AAPS

This fossil theft involves the US and Canadian Mail and because of the amount ($20,450.00 US) falls under the category of Grand Theft, a felony. David Guery co-owner of GeoFossils, LLC received the order posted below from a Maria Gray in Canada and she paid with a cashier's check from CIBC Bank. A copy of the check and Maria's information is posted below.

Just hours after sending this Alert, we heard from John Issa and Matt Heaton. The same person contacted both Korite and Matt, they went to place an order online, but they could not pay with credit card. They contacted John directly via email and Korite told them to send a direct wire transfer, but they said they would send a bank draft. We received the cheque a few days later and deposited it. We waited a bit, and with how the weekend fell, it was delayed from shipping a few more days. We were then contacted by our bank and told that the bank draft was fraudulent. Luckily, because of the delay, Korite never shipped anything. But this person or group is targeting online fossil dealers.

Cashier's check from CIBC Bank

Maria Gray
32 rue Principale,
QC St-Esprit J0K 2L0
Canada
phone: 4509153657
graymaria418@gmail.com

If you are contacted to purchase any of the following 5 items or receive any future orders from this person or address, please contact David directly at geofossiles@live.fr or phone 720-643-3921. David told me that he waited 3-weeks before sending the items after depositing the payment, but apparently it took over a month for the bank to declare the check a counterfeit fake cashier's check.


Name: Brontotherium megaceratops Jaw (titanotherium)

Age: Brule formation, oligocene

Origin:Shannon county, south dakota

Size: 58 x 36 cm
Brontotherium megaceratops Jaw

Name: edmontosaurus annectens
dinosaur jaw with teeth

Age: maastrichtian, hell creek formation, upper cretaceous

Origin: wyoming, united states

Size: 28 cm
Dinosaur Edmontosaurus annectens jaw with teeth

Name: Eocharcharias sp.
Theropod dinosaur tooth

Level: Berriasian, upper Jurassic limit - lower Cretaceous

Ksar Metlili formation

Origin: Talsinte, Province of Figuig, Morocco

Size: 4.1cm (tooth)
Theropod Dinosaur Tooth Eocharcharias sp.

Name: Otodus megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon / Megaselachus megalodon)
on original matrix

Age: Pliocene

Origin: Surabaya, West Java, Indonesia

Size: 14.5 cm
Fossil Shark Tooth Otodus megalodon

Name: Otodus megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon / Megaselachus megalodon)
Fossil shark tooth

Stage: Pliocene

Origin: Surabaya, West Java, Indonesia

Size: 14.6cm
Fossil Shark Tooth Otodus megalodon

Please be careful when dealing with new customers. It is suggested that you hold any items purchased until the money is deposited in your account before shipping to new customer. Additionally, you should copy all checks before depositing them in your account. As you can see above, bank copies of the check are usually poor quality and signatures are usually blocked out.

We will send Theft Alerts to all persons registered to receive our newsletter, whether they are an AAPS member or not. We also post this information on Facebook and on the AAPS website.

Sincerely
George F. Winters, Administrative Director
george@stonejungle.com
phone: 435-744-3428