This ranks as the strangest report I have written to date. I hope I don’t ever have to write something conveying even worse information than this!

          I’m writing to all baseball coaches and business owners in America to advise you to beware of the following two scenarios that I recently dealt with:

SCAM #1, here in the USA

          This first one is with a guy named Dave Bryan called MYWBCA, 9718 E Geddes Blvd Englewood CO 80112. Phone is 303-587-6118.  This guy emailed us in 2/09 with an offer of advertising and other means of business promotion. His web site is www.mywbca.com. In doing our research on this organization, we noticed the companies they had linked to on their site.  

          In a number of phone conversations and emails, he made various promises as to how he would perform. After cashing our check a few weeks ago, we have heard nothing further. He’s taken our money and done nothing with it.  

          He sent us a contract that we reviewed and signed. It all "appeared" legitimate. A friend of ours, Mulford Fisher of Striker bats in Atlanta also bought this advertising package with us. He too has been defrauded by this thief.

This is the list of sites he has linked to as of 3/03/09, which includes ourselves. I’m guessing the businesses listed thereon would not want to be associated with the fraudulent activity of this organization:

http://www.mywbca.com/html/links.html:

www.baseballfit.com - A Great Source For All Your Baseball Training Needs 

www.mvpoc.com  - Training The Next Generation of Hitting Professionals 

www.baseball101.com - Tremendous Resource For All Aspects of Baseball 

www.briancain.com  - Motivational Speaker For Your Next Occasion 

www.ricksaggese.com  - Goal Setting For Baseball Performance 

www.effectivevelocity.com  - Amazing Research On Advanced Hitting & Pitching Science 

www.coachquest.net  - Your Source For Advanced Video Analysis 

www.hittingisaguess.com - What Great Hitters Know & Don't Want Pitchers To Find Out  

www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com - Learn The Truth About Baseball Specific Strength & Conditioning  

www.thepitchingacademy.net - A Top On-Line Resource For Baseball Training Aids and Informational Products

www.firstroundmentalcoaching.com - The Best In Mental Game of Baseball FREE Training  

www.briancainblog.com  - Communicate With Other Great Coaches About The Mental Game & Follow Brian Cain  

www.eas.com - Top Nutritional Supplement Provider For Championship Teams 

www.amateurcoacheseducation.com - ACE - Coaches Education For Baseball 

www.strongsvillemustangs.com - Strongsville High School , Ohio - Top Notch Program 

www.baseballnews.com - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the voice of amateur baseball. Very inexpensive and very expansive coverage of college and high school baseball.  A must subscription for aspiring baseball players and coaches. 

www.baseballpinetar.com  - Dean Sato - Best Pine Tar Available & Other Great Products 

www.hittingworld.com  - Great Resource For Hitting Aids and Products 

www.robur58.com - Robur'58 58 Baseball / Softball Club - Apeldoorn Holland 

www.motivationalmagic.com - The Most Amazing Motivational Magician Ever

          So, if you get a call from this guy or anyone in his organization, beware. Based on our experience, they’re a fraud. Should you talk to them, you might ask about how they handled things with BIG Z Sports.  Regardless, my advice is to have nothing to do with this thief.

 SCAM #2 – perhaps from a foreign country

 I received this email a few months ago from a person who described himself as an “African father” who wants some baseball training for his kid. The story is that his family will be visiting the US for a few months and he wants his son to become more proficient in baseball.

  “Hello,
        
  My name is Tom Larry
           
  I got your contact displayed on a website while surfing for an instructor for my 16yrs old son. My son will be vacationing in the USA for 3 month starting from January 2009,so therefore I want to secure your services in giving my son some sporting instructions during is stay there.

  So to that effect, I will like to know your pricing and schedule as regards the lesson? waiting your response.

  Regards

  TM”

          Because I have had legitimate students from overseas that have traveled to train with me here in the US , I didn’t find this message to be particularly unusual. However, when we continued to correspond, some red flags did arise. Among them were his lack of information as to where they would be staying while in the US , how his son’s transportation needs would be met, details on his current address and where he was contacting me from, and the like.

          So here’s how this scam works: the “parent” negotiates a rate with the coach for the training. Some time later, a very official looking check is sent for payment in an amount larger than that agreed upon. The “parent” then apologizes for this error and asks that the excess amount be sent back, with the coach keeping their correct fee amount.

What then happens is that this check is deposited in the coach’s bank, and the coach sends the money back to the “parent.” Then, a few days later, the coach’s bank notifies the coach that the check is bad, and he is out the amount of money he sent to the “parent.”

          Fortunately, we didn’t fall for this one, because I try to keep up on email scams and Internet security. My wife works in a bank, and she thought the check appeared legitimate. We called the issuing bank, located in Utah . They told us the account number on the check did not exist, the check was a fraud, and they had been receiving a number of inquiries about this same type of thing. But, because the scammer is presumably located in a foreign country, there was nothing the Utah bank could do about it.

          In this case, it wasn’t one of those deals that is “too good to be true,” as I had negotiated the fees with guy. But, had I fallen for it, I would have been out $2,000 or more.

          So, coaches, check every avenue you can before making any type of financial deal with someone you don’t know and trust. Get references from previous satisfied customers. There are thieves, liars and scammers out there, even in the baseball community.