this post was submitted on 25 Jan 2026
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[–] Janx@piefed.social 87 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

While the victims reported more than $100 million in losses, Brink’s said the stolen items were worth less than $10 million.

When life gives you ~~lemons~~ theft, commit insurance fraud! I say fuck the rich "victims"...

https://apnews.com/article/brinks-jewelry-heist-ice-deportation-687c0197eda0ee6c8bfd1fb7f5987f35

[–] theparadox@lemmy.world 41 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (3 children)

I think it was said the fraud is actually in the other direction. Jewelry is regularly undervalued to reduce the cost of insuring it.

Brandy Swanson, the director of the San Mateo jewelry show, previously said the jewelers robbed of their gems had lost more than $100 million in the theft. Vendors claimed the figure was as high as $150 million.

Swanson noted it was her experience that jewelry owners tend to underestimate their pricey inventory when it comes to insurance, to keep costs low.

“That’s where the discrepancy comes in,” she said.

https://nypost.com/2022/08/13/brinks-doubts-gems-were-150m-in-jewel-heist-lawsuit/

Regardless, I think jewelry and precious gems are a racket. Also, fuck the rich.

[–] MartianSands@sh.itjust.works 15 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I don't think that's fraud. If you insure an object for $100, then you get $100 if it pays out. That the object was actually worth a trillion dollars is neither here nor there

[–] theparadox@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

Not really fraud when it comes to insurance which is what my wording most implied. Good point.

I was thinking that it might be considered fraud when amounts were reported to Brink but I admit I know nothing about transportation/security type things. If Brink is just insuring it and the security is just to protect what is insured maybe it doesn't matter. I know I'd be pissed if I was told I'd been transporting a much higher value target than I was paid to transport, and on a regular basis. $150 million is way more dangerous to transport than $8 mil.

[–] MartianSands@sh.itjust.works 2 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Certainly, there are a bunch of other people who might legitimately need to know what they're dealing with

[–] nulluser@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

In addition to all of the above thread, there's also two ways to "value" jewelry. A) How much you could get someone to pay you for the item if you sold it, and B) How much it would cost to replace it with something identical or equivalent. Usually B is waaaaaay more expensive than A, unless it's common Walmart jewelry counter grade stuff. And even then, B is merely waaay more expensive than A.

[–] Instigate@aussie.zone 1 points 4 hours ago

There’s also C) How much the individual components of the jewellery are worth if disassembled/smelted down - i.e. the spot price of any gems or metals used in the piece of jewellery’s construction. This is usually the lowest form of valuation as it doesn’t take into account the labour/expertise of construction and has an associated smelting cost to extract the raw components.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

All 'value' is bunk.

Back in the day, there was a place where you could trade a pound of salt for a pound of gold.

Both were worthless where they were found.

[–] balsoft@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Per Marx, value is a social construct, but it's not "bunk" because it is directly tied to the labor necessary to produce something.

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world -1 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Jewelry is not under valued, what fuck you smoking? My best friend run a Jewelry wholesaler business that shit is mark up 1000% especially diamonds.

[–] theparadox@lemmy.world 3 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Personally, I think "pretty" things kept artificially scarce and heavily marketed to the point that there is a social obligation to purchase them for certain occasions are worthless. I have no idea why you are trying to pick a fight about this stupid shit.

Under capitalism, the economic system in which this "heist" took place, things are worth what you can sell them for. That's the capitalist definition of value. If you mark them up 1000% and people will still buy them then you can say they are worth 1000%.