Candace Banks Gemologist gemprolab.com / Date of posting: June 30, 2024
by Samantha B.G.
Phony gemologist
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Phony gemologist / Jewellery and gemstone appraiser scam
Name / Alias: Candace BanksSupposed Credentials:* On her phony website, it is noted: 'Meet Candace Banks, the founder and lead gemologist at GemPro Lab, an independent gemological and jewelry appraisal company located in California. Candace brings years of experience and expertise in the field of gemology to her work at GemPro Lab, ensuring that clients receive the most accurate and reliable assessments possible.
‘Website: https://gemprolab.com/
Where one can find the facial image? Homepage of GemPro Lab siteDate that website was first registered: 2023-03-24
Website domain registrar: NameCheap
Website hosting provider: Cloudflare
Physical addresses cited on website:
1)11340 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 2)4557 State Highway 140, Midpines, CA 95345
Phone number cited on website:+1(858)-429-9762
Does the phone number correspond to either physical address?: Possibly plausible.
The area code is for California, which does align with the two addresses listed.
Email address cited on website:hello@gemprolab.com
Also to note:* The contact page listed the Los Angeles, California address, whereas the footer of each web page notes the Midpines, California address.*
The phone number above matches one that had been used by a now-defunct Allure Gems site, featuring a ‘Melisa Emma.’
More info on this site can be found at:
https://www.watchforscams.com/melisa-emma-gemologist-allure-gems-alluregemslabcom-date-of-posting-may-9-2023.html
An archived copy of the Allure Gems site is available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230506045511/alluregemslab.com*
The Midpines, California address matches the address used by a now-defunct Suzanne Sasser scam site.
An archived copy of the Suzanne Sasser site can be found at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230506053110/https://suzannesasser.com/*
The GemPro Lab website may be a sort of clone of a long-defunct Oak Creek Gems website. Content for GemPro Lab site served up by Amazon AWS?: No
While some related websites featuring the image of the same woman's face have had content served up by Amazon AWS in the past, this website does not appear to do likewise.
This woman may attempt to reach out to men on dating / social networking sites, under whichever alias. After having supposedly busted her laptop, she may attempt to get someone to send her a replacement laptop to her, in Turkey, where she claims to be working temporarily. Given the high number of websites in question, it's hard to say how many angles there could be for different targets and how many people and/or organizations may be working behind the websites and their presumably related profiles on various dating / social networking sites.
However, one possibility is that a proverbial targeted victim is being recruited, via a romance scam, as a conduit to ship other people's jewellery -- from North America, Europe or Australia -- off to Africa and/or the Middle East. (It seems to be jewellery from the U.S., in this case.)
It's possible that people may send their jewellery for appraisal, possibly to a home address listed on a jewellery appraisal website. (This would be the supposed business location.) The 'jewellery appraiser' may have an address located somewhat close to the person who wants an appraisal.
The romance-targeted-victim, netted via the romance scam, may then, in turn, ship that jewellery off to their loved one, under the context of doing her a service, as she is temporarily traveling abroad.
The romance-targeted-victim may then be facilitating a theft against a
There have been many scam sites that feature the photo of the SAME WOMAN'S FACE, but each under a different alias, including some sites with corresponding Watch for Scams report pages. Several sites are as follows:
Nicole Gallo nicolegallogems.com – online as of Jun 30/24
Lezlie Sasser lezliesassergems.com – online as of Jun 30/24.
Selina Wiley, Precision Gem Lab precisiongemlab.com – online as of Jun 30/24.
Emily Layla, Exquisite Gems Labs exquisitegemslabs.com -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/emily-layla-gemologist-exquisitegemslabscom-date-of-posting-jan-21-2023.html *
Exquisite Gems Labs is technically still online, as of Jun 30/24, but the content of the homepage is pretty much blank.
Archived copy available via Internet Archive at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220916060057/exquisitegemslabs.comAndreea Sasser andreeasasser.com --
see https://www.watchforscams.com/andreea-sasser-gemologist-andreeasassercom-date-of-posting-june-27-2022.html
* Andreea Sasser site is technically still online, as of Jun 30/24, but the content of the homepage involves an attempt to sell the web domain at an egregiously exorbitant price.
Archived copy available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220319211500/andreeasasser.com
Lauren Angelo laurenangelogems.com – see https://www.watchforscams.com/lauren-angelo-gemologist-laurenangelogemscom-date-of-posting-may-12-2023.html
* Lauren Angelo site appears to be down, as of Jun 30/24. All the same, archived copy can be accessed at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230318211704/https://laurenangelogems.com
Naomi Pat Collins naomipatcollins.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/naomi-pat-collins-gemologist-naomipatcollinscom-date-of-posting-aug-14-2022.html
Archived copy available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230123033833/https://naomipatcollins.com/
Julie Cooney juliecooney.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/julie-cooney-gemologist-juliecooneycom-date-of-posting-may-6-2023.html
Archived copy available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230602094559/juliecooney.com
Melisa Emma, Allure Gems Lab alluregemslab.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/melisa-emma-gemologist-allure-gems-alluregemslabcom-date-of-posting-may-9-2023.html (see note on this site above, as per phone number)
Julia Dimaggio juliadimaggio.co
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/julia-dimaggio-gemologist-juliadimaggioco-date-of-posting-june-20-2022.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220620091102/https://juliadimaggio.co/
Sandra Hall sandrahall.co
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/sandra-hall-gemologist-sandrahallco-date-of-posting-may-19-2022.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220517041420/https://sandrahall.co/about/
Reenie Hanson reeniehansongems.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/reenie-hanson-gemologist-reeniehansongemscom-date-of-posting-may-9-2023.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230724035924/reeniehansongems.com
Zaee Harris zaeeharris.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/zaee-harris-gemologist-zaeeharriscom-date-of-posting-may-19-2022.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220628010826/https://zaeeharris.com/
Carola Johnson carolajohnson.co
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/carola-johnson-gemologist-carolajohnsonco-date-of-posting-may-19-2022.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230123034251/https://carolajohnson.co/
Carola Kemp carolakempgems.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 Archived copy of site available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20220518030003/carolakempgems.com
Stacey Lambert staceylambertgems.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/stacey-lambert-gemologist-staceylambertgemscom-date-of-posting-may-10-2023.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230505165835/staceylambertgems.com
Cynthia Lewis, Royal Glamour Gems royalglamourgems.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230527023907/http://royalglamourgems.com/
Martina Paugh, Universal Gems Diamond Experts universalgemsdiamondexperts.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/martina-paugh-projectconsultant-manager-universalgemsdiamondexpertscom-date-of-posting-may-20-2022.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20211219162451/universalgemsdiamondexperts.com
Sandra Smith sandrasmithgems.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/sandra-smith-gemologist-sandrasmithgemscom-date-of-posting-jan-22-2023.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220517041420/https://sandrahall.co/about/
Claudia Denise Wallace claudiadenisewallace.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220320210729/claudiadenisewallace.com
Cornelia Williams corneliawilliamsgems.com
* Website down as of Jun 30/24 -- see https://www.watchforscams.com/cornelia-williams-gemologist-corneliawilliamsgemscom-date-of-posting-may-11-2023.html
Archived copy of site available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230506043939/corneliawilliamsgems.com
For more discussion of this romance scam interfacing with a jewellery appraisal scam, please go to the aforementioned Watch for Scams page for the now-defunct Sandra Hall site:
https://www.watchforscams.com/sandra-hall-gemologist-sandrahallco-date-of-posting-may-19-2022.html