Events & AwardsNov 06, 2025
Pink Tourmaline Bracelet, Emerald Suite Take Top Spectrum Honors Pink and purple stones were popular in the AGTA’s design competition this year, as were cameos and ocean themes.
CrimeJun 26, 2017
Socially Engineered Shipping Scheme Hits Jewelry Industry
The perpetrators are mining information from company websites and Facebook in order to appear legitimate when placing fraudulent orders for high-end items, the JSA warns.
New York--A group of perpetrators are calling jewelry companies and faking their identities in order to trick them into shipping out high-end items, the Jewelers Security Alliance said in a special alert issued late last week.
JSA President John J. Kennedy said that while the exact number of perpetrators is unknown, the shipping scam is the work one of one fairly large singular group believed to be operating in the United States and targeting jewelry firms in the Northeast and Southeast.
He said that both suppliers and retailers are potential victims, with the perpetrators using what’s called social engineering to try to fool their victims into shipping out high-end merchandise.
Social engineering is defined as the use of deception to manipulate individuals to divulge confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. In May of this year, the FBI released a public service announcement about social engineering being used in business email compromise attacks, which cost businesses globally more than $5 billion between October 2013 and December 2016.
But, electronic contact is not part of the current scam that’s impacting jewelers and suppliers, Kennedy said.
Instead, the perpetrators are using the phone, calling suppliers pretending to be jewelers, or targeting multi-store retail chains posing as a store manager or employee of another branch.
They will contact the retail store or supplier with a great deal of knowledge about the company, like names of employees, shipping procedures, inventory in stock and SKU numbers.
While some of the information is obtained via phone calls made prior, much is mined from the internet, including the store’s website and the social media profiles of the business owner and his or her employees.
Then the perpetrator will ask for the supplier or store to ship certain high-end items--Kennedy said mainly large diamonds and high-value watches--overnight, with the goal of diverting the package en route by changing the shipping address to an address of their choice.
Sometimes when the fraud is being committed at a multi-store retail chain, the perpetrator will give an address that he or she claims belongs to a customer or salesperson and asks for the item to be sent there instead of the store.
Kennedy said while he has seen this type of fraud before, he has never seen it happening at the level it is right now.
There have been about a dozen attempts in the last two weeks
alone. And those are just the ones that were reported to the JSA, he said, though he noted that only a few of the reported attempts have been successful.
“We are putting this out now because we see it as rampant,” Kennedy said of the alert the JSA issued Friday.
He said that the amount of information now available on the internet is a “very large” contributor to criminals’ ability to socially engineer scams today.
And while Kennedy acknowledges that businesses need to be present on the internet to market themselves today, he says jewelers should carefully consider each piece of information that goes online.
“I feel jewelers are putting far too much information out online,” he said. “The more you put out there, the more you are at risk.”
The JSA has five additional recommendations for jewelers and suppliers to help them avoid becoming a victim of this shipping scheme.
1) Employees need to confirm to whom they are speaking. If someone is on the line whom the employee does not know, he or she should excuse themselves immediately and say they will have to call them back. Employees also can call back after the order or request is made to confirm that it’s legitimate.
Either way, the employee should not use the number given to them by the caller and, instead, call the actual phone number of the business, obtained via Google or elsewhere.
2) Be wary of calls that come from blocked or “unknown” numbers.
3) Alert employees that they should not be fooled into giving out inappropriate information to callers asking questions about personnel or procedures. The perpetrators want to find out as much as they can about a supplier or retailer in order to sound legitimate.
4) Strictly limit the procedures that allow for a change of address on shipments. For example, some firms have only one person who can authorize a change of address or have told the shipping company that all packages on which an address change is attempted should be returned to them.
5) Kennedy also recommended Monday that jewelers or suppliers never give out tracking numbers for packages they are shipping.
“We are putting this out now because we see it as rampant,” Kennedy said of the alert the JSA issued Friday.
He said that the amount of information now available on the internet is a “very large” contributor to criminals’ ability to socially engineer scams today.
And while Kennedy acknowledges that businesses need to be present on the internet to market themselves today, he says jewelers should carefully consider each piece of information that goes online.
“I feel jewelers are putting far too much information out online,” he said. “The more you put out there, the more you are at risk.”
The JSA has five additional recommendations for jewelers and suppliers to help them avoid becoming a victim of this shipping scheme.
1) Employees need to confirm to whom they are speaking. If someone is on the line whom the employee does not know, he or she should excuse themselves immediately and say they will have to call them back. Employees also can call back after the order or request is made to confirm that it’s legitimate.
Either way, the employee should not use the number given to them by the caller and, instead, call the actual phone number of the business, obtained via Google or elsewhere.
2) Be wary of calls that come from blocked or “unknown” numbers.
3) Alert employees that they should not be fooled into giving out inappropriate information to callers asking questions about personnel or procedures. The perpetrators want to find out as much as they can about a supplier or retailer in order to sound legitimate.
4) Strictly limit the procedures that allow for a change of address on shipments. For example, some firms have only one person who can authorize a change of address or have told the shipping company that all packages on which an address change is attempted should be returned to them.
5) Kennedy also recommended Monday that jewelers or suppliers never give out tracking numbers for packages they are shipping.
More on Crime
The Latest
IndependentsNov 06, 2025
Greenwich St. Jewelers Hosts Raffle Supporting Food RescueAll proceeds from the G. St x Jewel Boxing raffle will go to City Harvest, which works to end hunger in New York City.
IndependentsNov 06, 2025
Cornell’s Jewelers Names New PresidentCourtney Cornell is part of the third generation to lead the Rochester, New York-based jeweler.
Brought to you by
Jewelers of America Aligns New Mission to Create Meaningful Impact for MembersFrom educational programs, advocacy, and recent MJSA affiliation, Jewelers of America drives progress that elevates businesses of all sizes.
SourcingNov 06, 2025
De Beers’ Production, Sales Increase in Q3 De Beers also announced more changes in its upper ranks ahead of parent company Anglo American’s pending sale of the company.
Weekly QuizOct 30, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
WatchesNov 05, 2025
Shinola President Steps Down Just as He Starts Former Signet CEO Mark Light will remain president of Shinola until a replacement for Ulrich Wohn is found.
AuctionsNov 05, 2025
Taylor Swift’s Engagement Ring Designer Makes Her Auction DebutKindred Lubeck of Artifex has three rings she designed with Anup Jogani in Sotheby’s upcoming Gem Drop sale.
FinancialsNov 05, 2025
Pandora Posts Modest Q3 Sales Growth Amid ‘Weak’ Consumer Sentiment The company focused on marketing in the third quarter and introduced two new charm collections, “Pandora Talisman” and “Pandora Minis.”
FinancialsNov 05, 2025
Brilliant Earth’s Q3 Sales Climb 10%The jewelry retailer raised its full-year guidance, with CFO Jeff Kuo describing the company as “very well positioned” for the holidays.
Policies & IssuesNov 04, 2025
Supreme Court to Hear Tariffs Case WednesdayAhead of the hearing, two industry organizations co-signed an amicus brief urging the court to declare Trump’s tariffs unlawful.
MajorsNov 04, 2025
Danny Clark to Become Stuller CEO, Succeeding Matt StullerStuller COO Belit Myers will take on the additional role of president, with all changes effective at the start of 2026.
ColumnistsNov 04, 2025
Peter Smith: What Do Birds Have to Do With the Price of Gold? Smith cautions retailers against expending too much energy on things they can’t control, like the rising price of gold.
TrendsNov 04, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Fall Colors for November BirthdaysCitrine and topaz are birthstones fit for fall as the leaves change color and the holiday season approaches.
IndependentsNov 04, 2025
Weston Jewelers Heads to Fort LauderdaleThe family-owned jeweler will open its fourth store in Florida in late 2027.
MajorsNov 03, 2025
Matthew Rosenheim Takes Over as JA Board ChairThe trade organization also announced its executive committee and five new directors.
CollectionsNov 03, 2025
Muse’s ‘Have a Heart’ Collab Returns, Now With DDGThe “Have a Heart x Diamonds Do Good” collection is championed by model and humanitarian Flaviana Matata and will benefit her foundation.
AuctionsNov 03, 2025
Kashmir Sapphire Ring Tops Christie's Online AuctionThe ring, set with a nearly 17-carat Kashmir cabochon sapphire, sold for $1 million.
TrendsOct 31, 2025
Piece of the Week: A Spinner Fit for ‘Frankenstein’This “Mother Father” spinner necklace from Heavenly Vices Fine Jewelry draws inspiration from Victorian Era jewelry.
Recorded WebinarsOct 31, 2025
Watch: How to Master Google Reviews for Your BusinessExperts share top tips on how to encourage positive reviews and handle negative feedback.
Supplier BulletinOct 30, 2025
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessSponsored by the Gemological Institute of America
CrimeOct 30, 2025
29-Year-Old Man Charged in Multiple Seattle-Area Smash and Grabs The suspect faces charges in the August robbery of Menashe & Sons Jewelers and is accused of committing smash and grabs at two pawn shops.
Lab-GrownOct 30, 2025
Alison Lou’s New Collection Uses Lab-Grown Diamonds and ResinThe “Lumière Fine” collection was born from designer Alison Chemla’s interest in the transformative power of light.
TrendsOct 30, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: A Haunted HalloweenShow off your spooky side with these 12 festive jewels.
Events & AwardsOct 30, 2025
Jewelers Mutual to Host Jewelry Panel at Frazier History MuseumThe “Brilliant & Beyond” panel coincides with the “Love & Marriage” exhibition curated by Davis Jewelers in Louisville, Kentucky.
Events & AwardsOct 29, 2025
October Brings Little Change to Consumer Confidence Consumers are feeling more optimistic about their present situation while the short-term future remains a little scary.
Events & AwardsOct 29, 2025
Couture Partners With Time to WatchesThe company, which organizes a watch show in Geneva every spring, will bring a selection of watch brands to the 2026 Couture show in Vegas.
