Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by MARC TOLIN on July 1, 2014 at 1:17pm

Actually this dirtbag is selling fake autos and reprints (as being real!) on Craigslist here in Massachusetts. http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/clt/4523477552.html

I met him in person and paid $150 (plus then the JSA/Beckett fees) to find out that he sold me fake Lebron James rookie auto cards. I did a web search on him and that brought me to this site, as well as finding out his exact address in Winthop, MA and phone number:

• Robert Sofia

contact by phone:

• 617-913-3556 (from Craigslist).

Check out what he wrote to me after I asked him for a refund:

Rob Sofia

• Jun 30 at 5:50 PM

To

• Marc Tolin

 

Well they are real as I watch them all sign all 4. So wasting grading money on 2 5$ cards. They probably thought you were trying to pull a scam. The man if his word sold real cards and said zero about spending 100$ to a tip off company. That's your bad bro. You had a sweet deal now you just barely broke if if not lost 50. Cause that big 3 sold on eBay for 140. I had 3 of them.  
Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 30, 2014, at 4:00 PM, Marc Tolin a href="mailto:marc_01867@yahoo.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" shape="rect">marc_01867@yahoo.com> wrote:

Okay Rob,

So I just got back the proof today form JSA/Beckett that the Lebron James auto card that I bought from you in person is not an authentic Lebron James signature.

You state in your ad and told me that you were 100% positive that it was authentic and it was 100% guaranteed.

If this is true and you are a man of your word, are you going to give me the refund of the $150.00?

(Plus, I am out the $100 in authentication fee which it failed)

Marc

From: Rob Sofia a href="mailto:rsof2808@yahoo.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" shape="rect">rsof2808@yahoo.com>
To: Marc Tolin a href="mailto:marc_01867@yahoo.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" shape="rect">marc_01867@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2014 8:36 PM
Subject: Re: that rookie is the most affordable, as i have 2 more and the jodans and an orr

Mind your own personal business

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 23, 2014, at 7:57 PM, Marc Tolin a href="mailto:marc_01867@yahoo.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" shape="rect">marc_01867@yahoo.com> wrote:

Is this you? (see the 3 links below from the internet)

I think it is.

 

Now I am wondering even more if the Lebron James auto card that I just bought from you will come back as authentic from PSA/JSA?

 

If you are so confident in your cards then you would take me up on my offer to pay you more than your asking price by getting them graded.

 

In the meantime I will wait and see what PSA has to say about the card I bought from you...

http://www.salemnews.com/local/x740876175/Police/print

http://www.indeed.com/r/Robert-Sofia/34aeecc568aafd02

http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/gordie-howe-wayne-gr...

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Permalink Reply by Rick Meyer on July 1, 2014 at 3:39pm

I would file a police report on him immediately.

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Permalink Reply by wascher on July 2, 2014 at 3:18am

I have a question for you Marc, is this guy "just a kid".  You mention you met him in person. 

And I too would file a police report and then sue him in small claims for the costs your out--since he's local to you.  BTW if he writes to you now privately and begs you not to go to the police, DO IT ANY WAY.   Its very clear this guy is a con artist, and he'll continue to do it if he isn't stopped.

-w

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Permalink Reply by MARC TOLIN on July 2, 2014 at 3:54am

Hello,

No - he looks like he's about 30 years old and he is short (maybe 5'7" at most) with black hair. My research from online search puts him at about 31 years old:  http://www.salemnews.com/local/x740876175/Police/print (from 2011).   http://www.indeed.com/r/Robert-Sofia/34aeecc568aafd02

His ad is still up in Craigslist (at this moment anyway) with the Jordan, Gretzky, and Orr rookies. http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/clt/4523477552.html

I may contact the police to see what can be done as this is technically all "circumstantial" I believe, but I would like some legal recourse if possible. Also, I do have the JSA proof in hand (but that may not be enough proof legally). 

I was amazed at his response when I wrote to him for a refund, with him stating that JSA must have given me a letter of rejection thinking I was running a scam, when he is the con artist!

I also wrote to an E-Bay member who told me that he sold reprints to Rob Sofia.

Dear marc_018679kn8,

I DECIDED TO ANSWER YOU QUESTIONS AND TELL YOU THAT THE PERSON YOU ASKED ABOUT DID IN FACT BUY REPRINT CARDS FROM ME OF JORDAN AND GRETZKY. I DECIDED TO TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS PERSON IS A SCAM ARTIST. I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU AND I SUGGEST THAT YOU USE LOTS OF CAUTION IF YOU DECIDE TO BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS PERSON. I FELL LIKE THIS PERSON IS CAPABLE OF ANYTHING AND HAS NO INTEGRITY AT ALL.
- playmakerbfl

Dear playmakerbfl,

I am wondering if you could do me a favor and let me know if you sold this item and some other reprints (Bobby Orr and Michael Jordan reprints) to a man in Winthrop, MA yesterday.

I see that he made purchases from you, after I met him in person and bought a couple of low-end cards from him a couple of days ago and then he told me he could get me Original rookie cards of Gretzky, Orr, and Jordan.

I just do not want to deal with this person again if this is the case, and I appreciate your honesty in advance...

Thank you,
Marc

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Permalink Reply by wascher on July 2, 2014 at 5:24am

I figured his "I'm just a kid" was just another "ploy" to have pity on him for being a con artist.  Ya know, the ole "I didn't know any better" routine.

This is in his craiglist ad:  They are 100% guaranteed authentic.  Well its obvious that they aren't...and you have proof of that.  He's even admitted here he sold bad ones under his "my shady partner" and the "I'm a kid" excuse... all of these things can be used in court to at least get your original cost back.  To me I'd be doing it not just for the money but to shut this person down. 

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Permalink Reply by MARC TOLIN on July 2, 2014 at 5:42am

Yeah, it looks like he has been at this for quite a while now.

It seems like these "types" of people never really get shut down, but I am strongly considering touching base with the authorities. I have always wondered what can be done, and now perhaps it's time to find out what the options really are - if any...

I researched on-line and could not seem to find much information about what can be done.

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Permalink Reply by Rock G III on July 4, 2014 at 4:32am

So since he is a "professional" maybe he should come back here and name his "shady" friend. LOL no one ever buys these stories do they?

http://www.whitepages.com/name/Robert-Sofia/Worcester-MA/c4yugqi

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Permalink Reply by wascher on July 4, 2014 at 5:02am

I actually ended up removing him.  He joined the buy/sell/trade area of our forum, and with the lies he was telling alone just in this discussion, I did not want anyone on our forum to be scammed by him.

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