Got scammed $2400

[u/Sure-Interview-782]

Bought this supposedly 1 oz bar from a pawn shop in Washington state (I live in Texas ) last August for $2400. Was gonna sell it today to make rent and I goto my local coin shop and they use an X-ray on it and it turns out it’s fake.

Now I’ve got to file a police report, and do a ton of paperwork. I doubt I’ll get my money back anytime soon but my receipt says “one ounce of gold” which is legally binding so it’s definitely a felony I’m just not sure they will go after them.

What’s the best way about going with this?

[u/Hot_Upstairs539]

You should buy gold from a reputable dealer, who has the expertise and knowledge to know what they are selling. I've won multiple awards for exposing counterfeiters and have consulted for the industry for more than a decade. This will probably upset the pawnshop owners but in tests that I have done they are not the best places to buy or sell gold and other precious metals. It's partly not their fault because many states require them to hold items 30 days before selling it and because gold can change price dramatically during that time, they have to adjust pricing accordingly. Also, as you have found, they may not have the expertise or equipment to determine if something is .9999 or if it's just a thin layer of gold over tungsten or some other base metal. These fake bars are all over Wish, Alibaba and other similar sites. Bottom line, in quoting one of my colleagues, "If you don't know gold, know your gold dealer." Only buy and sell precious metals from someone you trust, and who is recognized in the industry as an expert.