Gold Academy · Section B

Investor risk mitigation

Physical gold is only as safe as the verification and custody discipline around it. These four modules cover the checks we apply at intake and the protections you hold as bailor.

Verifying assay certificates

Match the serial number on the certificate to the number stamped on the bar itself — not to the packaging or invoice.
Confirm the refiner appears on the LBMA Good Delivery list and that the certificate states weight, fineness and cast date.
Cross-check the certificate directly with the refiner's own verification service; never rely on a scan supplied by the seller.
Sealed assay cards should be intact. A re-sealed or re-laminated card is treated as unverified until independently re-assayed.

Spotting physical counterfeits

Weigh and measure: tungsten-cored fakes match weight but almost never match both dimensions and displacement volume.
Use ultrasound or conductivity testing for bars above 100 g; acid and scratch tests only read the surface layer.
Inspect stamping depth and font consistency under magnification — soft, shallow or uneven characters are a red flag.
Insist on intake photography and independent verification before any bar enters or leaves a vault.

Your bailment rights under Scots Law

Allocated custody is a contract of custody and bailment: legal title to the specific bars never passes to us.
Your metal is not pooled, lent, leased or rehypothecated, and cannot be treated as an asset of the custodian.
As bailor you may demand inspection, itemised accounting, or redelivery of the identified bars held under your labels.
The custodian owes a duty of reasonable care and must account for every gram — a duty enforceable in the Scottish courts.

Avoiding digital and physical gold scams

Treat any unsolicited approach promising below-spot bullion or guaranteed returns as fraudulent.
Refuse 'certificate-only' or unallocated schemes with no audited bar list and no right of physical redelivery.
Verify vault addresses and company registration independently; cloned websites and lookalike domains are common.
We never ask for passwords, seed phrases or full card details, and never change payment details by email. Confirm any such request on your secure line.