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AFTAL have been asked to post the following statement from Mick Spring. "I have handed in my resignation as Chairman of AFTAL. I feel I am unable to dedicate sufficient time to the job of being Chairman of AFTAL due to increased pressures of personal and medical issues. 

I would like to wish the next Chairman of AFTAL all success. I remain very much an AFTAL dealer at this time." Mick Spring



News item one updated

The largest autograph fraud case of its kind finally came to an end today (2nd April 2008) after the jury announced a guilty verdict against both Faisal Medani and Graeme Walker at Chester Crown Court.

AFTAL members Andy Woodward of Mad About Sports, and Garry King of Autografica, both gave evidence for the prosecution, which helped lead to the guilty verdict. Both Medani and Walker will be sentenced later.

The court heard how Walker and Medani systematically forged signatures on shirts, photos and other items, which were then sold via their shop, website, eBay, and TV auction channels. 

The shop in Chester is now boarded up, and it looks as though both Walker and Medani may well be given prison sentences.

Both Medani and Walker have previous convictions for fraud, and during the first week of the trial, Medani was again arrested for suspected credit card fraud. That investigation is ongoing. 

AFTAL recommends that anyone who has purchased any item, which they suspect may have come from either Walker or Medani, should get in touch with an AFTAL member for a second opinion. 

Here is just one of the many news articles on the web about this scam.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1043676_neville_helps_net_fakers

News item one

Sports stars and AFTAL members testify against dealers accused of selling fake signed memorabilia.

AFTAL members Andy Woodward of Mad About Sport, and Garry King of Autografica, will be sharing the witness stand with sports legends Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and Johnny Wilkinson over the next 6 weeks. They have all been called to give evidence at Chester Crown Court against the owners of Sporting Icons, Faisal Madani and Graeme Walker, the men behind allegations of a major counterfeiting operation in the multi-million pound sports memorabilia business 

The case has taken Trading standards almost 2 years to get to court after they raided the premises of Sporting Icons in Chester in June 2006. They recovered 5 van loads of signed clothing and autographed photo?s from the Watergate Row premises. Despite this setback, Sporting Icons have continued to trade both from their Chester store and the internet.

AFTAL recommend that the public only buy signed items from well established dealers who have both the knowledge and experience to deal with signed memorabilia. They should offer a life time authenticity guarantee, and be a member of a recognised trade association, membership of which should always be checked. 

AFTAL is the only trade association for autograph dealers in the UK, and actively works with the Police and Trading Standards office. AFTAL has a strict code of practice to ensure that all members only deal in authentic signed items, and all members face a thorough check of their knowledge, background and stock, before being accepted.

AFTAL recommend that anyone who has purchased anything from either Sporting Icons, or its owners Faisal Medani and Graeme Walker, get a second opinion from a known expert. 

If any member of the public requires a second opinion on any items they may have purchased, they may contact any AFTAL member for advice. In some cases a charge may be made for this service. 

AFTAL have a guide to help the general public make a decision on buying signed memorabilia, and this can be found here.

Below are links to just some of the articles related to this case, and AFTAL are pleased to see that both Walker and Medani are at last getting the publicity they deserve! 

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/02/07/men-in-court-over-faked-autographs-55578-20448768/
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=steven-gerrard-and-jamie-carragher-we-have-never-signed-this-sporting-icons-image&method=full&objectid=20451462&siteid=50061-name_page.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7232740.stm
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/article-23436206-details/Fans%20'spent%20thousands%20on%20fake%20autographs'%20of%20Becks,%20Gerrard,%20Wilkinson%20and%20Owen/article.do
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1035628_top_prices_for_worthless_goods
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/07/nfraud107.xml
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/tm_objectid=17212565&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=stars-lined-up-for--fake-autographs--case-name_page.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3254186.ece
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2008/02/06/jamie-carragher-and-steven-gerrard-set-to-appear-in-court-64375-20441949/
http://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/latest-north-west-news/Sports-stars-get-callup-for.3745107.jp
http://www.chestereveningleader.co.uk/latest-north-west-news/Sport-stars-may-testify-in.3744602.jp
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/7228432.stm
http://stricklerautographs.blogspot.com/2008/01/british-sports-stars-may-testify-on.html
http://www.driffieldtoday.co.uk/latest-north-west-news/Sport-stars-may-testify-in.3744602.jp
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/breaking-news/2008/02/05/wilkinson-and-owen-called-to-autograph-trial-61634-20437728/
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/02/06/reds-stars-may-give-evidence-in-court-case-100252-20440955/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/06/nfraud106.xml
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/United-and-Liverpool-stars-victims.3747279.jp
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1035274_stars_at_sport_scam_trial
http://www.lions-tour.com/news/viewarticle.asp?id=10223
News item two.  

 The UK end of the UACC has just issued a full list of eBay sellers who have had items removed during the past year. All of these sellers have in some way made use of the UACC logo or name, when they were either not members, or claiming to buy their stock from UACC Registered Dealers or similar.

 During the past 2 years, the UACC in the UK have mounted a very strong campaign to rid eBay of sellers who made claim to be UACC members. Two years ago a search for  ?UACC? would have bought up well over 7500 items listed as being from UACC members. In fact only a small percentage of those were being sold by UACC members themselves, the rest were simply being offered by sellers who were using the name or logo to help increase the items value.

 A campaign was launched using their UACC Vero rights on eBay, which allows the owners of trademarks or copyright items to have any items removed if the seller should in some way infringe those rights.

 During the first few months of the exercise, thousands of items from dozens of sellers were instantly removed, much to the annoyance of some of them! Many simply relisted the items, only to find that they were again removed. Some persisted, but under eBay rules, 3 Vero?s and you may find that your eBay membership is terminated, so that removed some sellers altogether!

Undeterred, some still kept listing, but this time using a new name, but still they were Vero?d. Now, 2 years later, we now find that a similar search will net just 2500 items, and its now very hard to find any amongst them that are not genuine UACC members or dealers*

Some of those caught out were using several different ID?s, or changed their ID on several occasions. It is also worth noting that some of the sellers, in an effort to add credibility to their auctions, dropped the UACC name and Logo, but started using the Manuscript Society or the defunct IACC/DA logo instead. Indeed, if you see a seller who claims only membership of the Manuscript Society, you can be almost certain that he has previously been Vero?d by the UACC for fraudulently using their name.

 Here is s a full list of the worst offenders, who between them had thousands of items removed under the UACC Vero purge. So before buying anything on eBay, it?s worth checking that these names are not on your list of favourite sellers!

Thefull90minutes
blackford0
pro1autographs
autographsonline
djmoore123
starautographuk
the_best_autographs
mels_store_uk
mcsautographs
autographicstars
star*signed
no_1_fan_memorabilia
a1-football-memorabilia
jimmycem
*the_black_and_white_picture_company*
signed4you2
rare_signings_collection
signedsportingitems
footballautographs
skyisbluesix
kasystems
autographcollectingco
jamielpdq
ualgood79
carlat7261
starautographuk
fattylampard
lynda19600
signedsportingitems
mcewans105
Beard08

A  further tip! Many of these sellers have now either changed their ID, or created another ID, so its worth checking out any sellers previous ID?s by simply clicking on any sellers feedback score, then clicking ?more options? You will then be able to see the sellers previous ID?s 

*Anyone can join the UACC as a member, although they have a strict set of rules to adhere to. UACC Registered Dealers however, have been members for at least 3 years, have supplied references, and have stock checked on a regular basis.

News item three.

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

News item 2 has been removed pending further investigation.

Please check back later.