When is a Topps Certified Autograph NOT a Certified Autograph?

Before I get to my story, I'd like to update you all on my 400,000 card collection haul.  I have gone through the majority of it, after hours of hard work (poor me, lol!)  I will be fulfilling an order very soon for someone, and the majority of the collection will be a part of it.  Thank goodness too ... we need the space!  A friend of mine will be loading me up with another 200,000 cards soon to fulfill the upcoming over. 

Working through all this cardboard is time consuming, but sure is fun.  It is nice to be able to sit back and look at all the freebies and such you have after all is said and done.  I'll probably be posting pictures at some point in the next few weeks what was found, so stay tuned!

Ok, so the question in the title:  When is a Topps Certified Autograph NOT a Certified Autograph? 

A few days back, someone texted me and asked if I was interested in a 2012 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autographed Refractor of Yu Darvish.

Ummm ... yes please! 

He said it booked for $350, and would take $200 for it.  I wasn't a buyer at $200, but if he could be talked down, I'd sure be happy to consider it!  I asked where he got it from, and he said he traded a guy for it with his PS3. 

I asked for a picture ... here it is!

Preeeeeettttyyyyy

Very nice looking card!!!  One thing that was strange though, was that when I was doing my research, I couldn't find a single autographed card that looked like this ... not one!  This is normally a *very* good sign, and heck ... maybe $200 is worth it after all! 

Then I continued on my research.

I found a number of these "Topps Certified Autograph" Darvish cards (that is what it says on the card itself!) without an autograph!  Apparently, a number of these were made as "proofs".  They could be approved by the higher ups at Topps before going into production. 

"So why was this one autographed?" I thought to myself. 

Click on the image, and compare the signature to what else you see online.  See any problems? 

Part of me wanted to go back to the guy and say Yu didn't sign this ... You signed this!

But part of me was worried that maybe he was just an unknowing person in all this, so I didn't quite know what to do. 

And then I remembered his text from him a few days ago. 

"Why would a card say 'Topps Certified Auto' on it and not have an autograph on it?"

There is the smoking gun. 

Look out everyone - you have no idea how many scammers there are out there!  You never can be too careful with autographs!