Is this legit or some sort of scam?

[EZ_E]

e-mail:

 

 

Hi there,

 

I have noticed that you are an active member of a numismatic community. My name is Juerg Schneider and I am supporting a friend of mine - Roger Gaemperle - who is working on a Master Thesis about community building on the web for the Technical University ETH in Zurich, Switzerland at the institute for technology and innovation management (www.time.ethz.ch).

 

Since I am a bit of a coin collector myself I was pleased when he told me that he dedicates a full chapter to the community of numismatic collectors. His work is sponsored by www.swapey.com/ which is a new virtual museum for collectors. swapey has been online for a few weeks only. Accordingly, there are not many items yet in the museum. swapey needs the support of as many collectors as possible to become a success

 

In order to better understand the needs of collectors and how to support community building in general he has started a survey at the following forum: http://www.swapey.com/index.aspx?nav=forum&tid=e3b0c045-b284-4de6-9781-d4067f78ac68

 

If you are interested in your personal showcase for your coins you can find an example here:

 

http://swapey.com/index.aspx?nav=museum&uid=e1ec4877-2ec0-47e5-a586-c12e69086eeb

 

Among the participants the university draws a gift coupon for a coin (max. cost incl. shipping $100). In order that the coupon can be delivered we kindly ask you to register yourself at swapey.

 

I do hope that you are not annoyed by the direct way of contacting you. We need the support of as many collectors as possible to have statistically significant statements from the survey. Please also excuse my English, I was born in Switzerland and my mother tongue is not English.

 

Please note that the whole project can only grow with you considering the option of signing up with swapey. It is free and without advertisement.

 

We would be very grateful if you supported Roger's work.

 

Best regards,

 

 

Juerg Schneider

 

 

 

For more questions please contact Roger Gaemperle directly under:

rogerga@student.ethz.ch

 

 

Hi there‚

 

My name is Juerg Schneider and I'm supporting a friend of mine - Roger Gaemperle - who is working on a Master Thesis about community building on the web for the technical University ETH in Zurich‚ Switzerland at the

institute for technology and innovation management (www.time.ethz.ch). His work is sponsored by swapey which is a new platform for collectors.

 

The following survey helps to better understand the needs of numismatic collectors and how to support community building in general. It takes only about 5 minutes.

 

Among the participants we draw a gift coupon for a coin of your choice (max. cost incl. shipping $100). In order that the coupon can be delivered and that you can reply to this thread we kindly ask you to register yourself.

 

It would be most helpful for me if you copy the questions into your answer and write the answer just below a question.

 

QUESTIONS:

1. Are you a member of a numismatic collector community already and if yes‚ which ones?

 

2. Which parts of community features do you frequently use?

- photo upload

- instant messaging

- search for people with similar interests

- learn from other modellers

- network building

- etc.

 

3. Which features do you think are still missing in existing communities which you would like to see in the future?

 

4. Assuming you are registered at different communities. Would you like the possibility to transfer your data (profile data‚ list of friends‚ photos‚ messages‚ etc.) automatically to another community?

- Yes‚ that would be great.

- That would be questionable.

- No

 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING THIS SURVEY!

 

If you like you can visit the numismatic gallery here. swapey Numismatic Showcase

 

Cheers‚

Juerg

juerg.schneider@swapey.com

[pendragon1998]

I'd avoid it. There's a 100% chance you won't get scammed if you do so.

[jgrinz]

He knows You collect coins and somehow has found out in a Foriegn land

 

He wants to you to fill out a registrstion so he will know where you live.

 

NEXT He will come visit while your not Home

 

hmmm

 

 

 

 

[cpm9ball]

A take-off of a specific line from "Field of Dreams":

 

If you answer, they will come.

 

Chris

[physics-fan3.14]

Yeah, that one sounds a little suspicious to me.

[Just Bob]

I'd avoid it. There's a 100% chance you won't get scammed if you do so.

 

I like this advice.

[michael]

well it could go either way................ sounds legit

 

but in any case/either way...........................

 

i would avoid it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gmarguli]

I got the same email (2 copies) this morning. No idea if it is a scam. Site looks legit and if you don't want to give your address, give a fake one or use a PO Box.

[Revenant]

I don't think I'd touch that with a 10 foot pole....

[rrantique]

 

I'm always suspicious of unsolicited e-mails

[TomB]

Circular file.

[BULLY]

I concur with the them posted in other replies.

 

By even responding, you are acknowledging that you ARE a coin collector.

 

It's partially why on eBay, you have an ID that is NOT your email address, and why only sellers and buyers see one another's address. I even encountered a situations on eBay recently where I contacted a buyer from a seller where I was encountering something weird, and wanted to see if he had similar trouble. I was allowed ONE contact apparently. I got a reply, but when I attempted a second message, eBay forbade it, saying that since I was not in a transaction with that individual, I couldn't contact him for security reasons, despite using the "autobot" catcher and filling in the codes to show that I wasn't a bot/spammer. Good Gravy Marie!

 

That said, the mere idea that this fellow has your email address is disturbing enough, who knows what else he knows about your coin collection -- confirming anything, EVEN YOUR EXISTENCE with a reply (and sometimes even clicking the links!) is enough to cause trouble. Since it appears you have clicked the links, I at least recommend the following:

 

1. Updating your anti-virus/worm definitions, and conducting a full system scan, if you haven't done so already.

2. Updating your spyware definitions, and conducting a full system scan. Ideally, use more than one spyware software, there a couple good free ones out there. (Spybot Search & Destroy, and Ad-Aware come to mind immediately).

 

This is to ensure that just by going to his site, that spyware or a trojoan/worm didn't infect your system.

 

This also raises another security question. For instance, before I joined the ANA, I went into the village and opened the smalled P.O. Box they had. It was the village post office, not the main one in town, so they actually had cheaper rates than the main office, and selected the smallest size, very affordable. Why? Because along with ANA membership comes "The Numismatist" magazine, which is NOT mailed in a "plain brown wrapper. Sure, we think of other material when we hear "plain brown wrapper," but for security reasons, I read in a coin book that having a PO BOX for coin publications is a good idea, because they just scream: "A COIN COLLECTOR LIVES HERE!" and may invite a thief.

 

Also because one publications often gets you on other numismatic mailing lists, and once it starts, it's hard to stop, so I'd rather get on the lists with the PO Box, than my physical address, again for the sake of home security. Surely enough, I've received publications for various coin related things, for pre-coin show auctions, you name it.

 

Therefore, one must not only be vigilant about the systemic security issues (computer safety), but the physical safety of guarding your home address. It is a reason I've also avoided doing business on occasion when I found an eBay seller who lived a town or two away from me -- it was just TOO CLOSE for comfort. I wouldn't want them to have any idea what I have in my collection, or the nature of what I collect, especially living so close. I realize that anyone is taking a chance, and it sounds paranoid, but it's a matter of LIMITING risk.

 

 

Along the topic of LIMITING risk, there is also the issue of COVERING risk, which is a tad off the immediate topic at hand. Specifically,. I am talking about insurance for coin collections, and that applies to whether your coin collection is in your home, in a safe in your home, or in a bank safe deposit box.

 

Why insure your collection even if it is in a bank safe deposit box?

 

1. FDIC insurance at banks does NOT include coverage for the contents of safe deposit boxes.

 

2. Homeowners insurance generally does not include coverage for coin collections. If it does, the coverage is extremely limited, to $250, $500, or maybe $1,000 maximum. For many of us, that may be 1 or 2 coins, literally, much less the vast parts of our collections.

 

3. Think: New Orleans during hurricanes Katrina and Rita, or even the wildfires in California not so long ago. Banks in New Orleans were literally UNDER WATER for days, or even weeks. How would your precious, maybe PRICELESS coin collection fare during such an event? Safe deposit boxes are anything BUT water tight.

 

4. Most homeowners insurance do not offer riders (at least not affordable ones) like they do for jewelry, for coin collections. They simply don't specialize in coin collections, and therefore the premiums they charge are outrageous.

 

5. The American Numismatic Association (ANA), has a deal through the Hugh Wood Agency of New York to purchase coverage for coin collections at various types of plans and at many levels (amounts) of coverage. The coverage is underwritten by AXA, a reliable company. You must, however, be an ANA member to apply for the coverage and must maintain your ANA membership to keep the policy. However, for what it's worth, ANA members may also submit coins to NGC for no cost, so that is a side benefit of membership. If you miss the 10% discount of being a Collectors' Society Member, well, that's another story.

 

[WoodenJefferson]