ICTA’s Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force gets underway with steering committee and work groups

The Industry Council for Tangible Assets has named an 11-member steering committee and has formed eight work groups to begin the work of its Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force.

ICTA created the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force in January and named Beth Deisher as its director. ACTF’s mission is to mobilize law-enforcement resources to protect the integrity of U.S. and world coinage by educating officials on the economic impact and growing threat of counterfeit circulating, collectible, and bullion coins.

“We are extremely pleased to have leaders step forward and volunteer their time and expertise as we begin working with various levels of law enforcement to combat counterfeiting and the threat it poses to the numismatic market and to the economies of the United States and other Western nations,” Deisher said.

Joe De Rosa (Loomis International [U.S.], Inc.), is serving as chair of the steering committee. Also on the committee are Simon Codrington (Hugh Wood, Inc.); Bill Daddio (retired chief of the U.S. Mint Police); Bob Brueggeman (executive director of the Professional Numismatists Guild); Michael Fuljenz (Universal Coins & Bullion); John Schuch II (Numismatic Guaranty Corp.); Mark Stephenson (Professional Coin Grading Service); Scott Schwartz (Fidelitrade); Scott Dagen (Dillon-Gage); Greg Allen (Greg Allen Coins, LLC); and Dr. Ute Wartenberg-Kagin (researcher and expert in ancient coins).

Deisher noted that each steering-committee member will be leading or co-leading a work group composed of experts who will be taking on specific projects and assignments. “Our organizational approach is intentionally different from the usual committee structure,” Deisher explained, “because members of our groups will be rolling up their sleeves and working on an ongoing basis.”

Experts who will join the steering committee in the work groups include Joe Boche (special agent, Minn. Dept. of Commerce / Fraud Bureau); Joseph E. Boling (researcher, author, and U.S. and foreign paper-money specialist); Doug Davis (Numismatic Crime Network); Bob Campbell (counterfeit-detection instructor, All About Coins); Jeff Garrett (Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries, and ANA president); Kenneth Gubin (retired chief counsel of the U.S. Mint); Jimmy Hayes (former member of Congress and ICTA lobbyist); Barry Stuppler (Barry Stuppler and Co., Inc., and incoming president of PNG); Fred Weinberg (error-coin specialist, Fred Weinberg & Co.); and Mary Lannin (independent numismatic researcher).

The eight work groups and their focus are:

• Law-Enforcement Liaison—Identify areas of cooperation and develop working relationships with federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies.
• Expert Networks—Identify and develop teams of experts in various areas of the United States who can identify counterfeits for law-enforcement agencies and act as expert witnesses to testify in court proceedings.
• Education—Develop curricula, workshops, and seminars to assist in educating law-enforcement professionals about counterfeit coins and paper money in the marketplace.
• Research—Assist law enforcement by identifying methods of entry and distribution networks of counterfeit coins and paper money in the United States.
• Packaging Security—Develop direct channels of communication for law enforcement to be able to identify counterfeit third-party coin and paper-money holders, fake certificates, and product packaging of various federal and private mints.
• Transport and Storage Security—Identify and develop best practices to prevent infiltration of counterfeit coin and bullion products into commercial transport and storage facilities.
• Laws and Regulations—Review and identify changes needed in current local, state, and federal laws and regulations regarding the manufacture, possession, and buying and selling of counterfeit coins and paper money. Also, review and identify changes needed to prohibit the use of fake certificates and packaging and the marketing of such items, including advertising practices in print and online offerings.
• Finance and Fundraising—Develop an annual task-force budget. Develop and implement a fund-raising campaign to generate sufficient funding to support the work of the task force.

ACTF is totally funded through donations from businesses and individuals. For information about donating to support the work of the task force, contact Beth Deisher at 567-202-1795 or email . Make checks payable to ICTA Anti-Counterfeiting, P.O. Box 237, Dacula, GA 30019.   ❑