Doug Davis has been a busy man lately, and that’s really not a good thing. On some days, I have seen multiple social media posts or numerous emails about a subject that impacts us all —numismatic crime.

The subject is not new, but there’s a certain optimism that maybe things will start getting better. As we start to see more coin shows in the summer season, though, the trend is going the other way.

There’s no question that the criminal element is creative. They use multiple means to achieve their goals, which we need to make sure we do everything to block.

The lengths that thieves will go to in achieving their objectives is baffling. One of the most recent cases I saw was when a dealer drove away from a show and stopped two and a half hours later. Someone had followed that dealer all that time. The criminal mind is not only devious, it’s also apparently patient. After that long drive, in vehicles believed to be bearing stolen plates, the thieves were able to abscond with substantial loot. For them, mission accomplished. For the good guys, the heartache of loss and paperwork.

The Numismatic Crime Information Center maintained by Davis and other sources provide great information in the most important step of prevention. Sadly, although you do almost everything right, criminals, motivated by greed and a lack of conventional ethics, always seem to be one step ahead.

You hear all of the time about being aware of your surroundings. Maybe I am as naïve as the next guy, but I would have thought that, after an hour or so into the pursuit, the criminal in our example would have turned around and given up. We will never know how many times someone is targeted, only to have a criminal develop a change of heart or fail to follow through. We only hear about the successful ones, which masks the size of the problem — it’s bigger than we imagine.

Take some time to look over preventative suggestions being offered. I’ve seen cases where victims of crime were hit when they stopped for gas soon after leaving; instead, fill up before the last day of a show, when the inventory is not in the car. The American Numismatic Association listed 67 points in its “Coin Show Tactics for Dealers.” Unveiled in 2015, it is still relevant nearly 10 years later.

Be smart, be safe, and that holds for collectors too. The criminals are watching us.

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