NGC Security Center
Although the vast majority of NGC holders in the marketplace are genuine, there are occasionally reports of counterfeit or tampered NGC holders. Likewise, there are some scams that involve soliciting coin sales. To learn how you can better protect yourself from counterfeit or tampered holders and scams, explore the resources below.
How NGC Protects You
NGC Holder and Label Security Features
The NGC holder and certification label employ advanced security features to protect against counterfeiting and tampering.
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Verify NGC Certification
Additionally, since October 2008 nearly every coin that NGC has graded has been imaged in the NGC holder prior to being returned to the submitter. These images, along with NGC’s certification data, can be helpful to assess an NGC holder’s authenticity. Images and certification data are available for free on the NGC website as well as NGC's mobile app.
Go to the Verify NGC Certification tool >
Legal Efforts
NGC will consider all available options to pursue those who counterfeit or tamper with NGC holders and violate NGC's intellectual property rights. These attempts are illegal and not only infringe upon NGC's registered trademarks, but also violate both the Hobby Protection Act of 1973 and the Collectible Coin Protection Act of 2014.
Identifying Fraudulent Holders
Enter the unique NGC certification number in the Verify NGC Certification tool to compare the images taken by NGC to the coin that you are considering for purchase. Compare the coins, labels and holders to verify that they match. Note the numerous differences between the coins, labels and holders below.
Obverse
Obverse
Reverse
Reverse
Scams Targeting Coin Collectors
To ensure impartiality, NGC and its full-time graders do not buy and sell coins, and strict procedures are in place to prevent conflicts of interest.
If you are contacted by phone, email or through social media by someone claiming to work for NGC who wants to buy coins from you, it is a scam. NGC will never randomly contact people soliciting coin deals.
In many cases, the scammer offers an above-market value for an inexpensive coin and asks the target to pay a “transaction fee” or “handling fee” in order to receive payment for the coin via Bitcoin. After the scammer receives the transaction fee, he or she blocks the target.
While there have been no definite reports of NGC customers falling victim to such a scam, NGC asks collectors to heed caution if you receive an unsolicited or suspicious contact from any individual claiming to be affiliated with NGC.
What to Do When You Encounter Fraud
The simplest way to avoid fraud is to only buy from an NGC Authorized Dealer or other dealers you trust. For a list of NGC Authorized Dealers, visit the NGC Dealer Locator. Be vigilant of any unsolicited or suspicious phone call, email or contact via social media from someone claiming to work for NGC. NGC does not buy or sell coins and will not attempt to transact with you.
If you have a counterfeit holder or see one for sale, contact NGC immediately at the email address or phone number below. Include as much relevant information as you can — high-resolution images, receipts, proof of payment, etc. — to help NGC conduct its investigation.
If you believe you are a victim of holder fraud, you should also immediately contact the seller and request a refund. If the seller does not provide a refund for a counterfeit or altered holder it may be liable for fraud. Please note that the NGC Guarantee does not apply to coins that reside in counterfeit or tampered holders.
NGC may be able to confirm the authenticity of an NGC holder by examining high-resolution images. In other cases, NGC may need to examine the holder at its office. If you send a holder to NGC and it is confirmed to be a fraudulent NGC holder, NGC will take high-resolution images of the fraudulent holder, remove the coin from the holder and return the coin with a letter stating that it was received in a fraudulent NGC holder along with the images taken of the holder. Under no circumstances will NGC return counterfeit or altered NGC holder parts.
NGC contact information:
consumerawareness@ngccoin.com
1-800-NGC-COIN
NGC
Attn: Consumer Awareness Department
P.O. Box 4776
Sarasota, FL 34230
Helpful Links:
NGC Holder Types
NGC Label Types
NGC Guarantee
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