Art Scam

2/7/2018

As an artist that has received a few unbelievable offers for my art by email from complete strangers - I wanted to warn you. I will share a couple of suspicious emails that I have received.

While I was reading the email I received today, I felt that this was probably a scam right off the bat. I googled to see if there were any 'art scams'. Well, sure enough, a whole whack of them! Other artists out there have also received emails with these kinds of incredible offers. And some have received the very same email that I had. It's unbelievable that there are such awful people out there trying to rip off innocent people. If your gut instinct while reading the email is that 'it seems too good to be true', well then, it probably is.

Watch out for the story the email art scammer has sent to your inbox. Saying 'how much he must tell me, that I am doing a great job.' Oh, really? Well, gee, shucks darn, thank you sir! And he wants to 'purchase some of my works for his wife as a surprise present regarding their forthcoming 20th anniversary', (look at the letter, commas not periods, weird way of wording a sentence, I'm thinking that this doesn't seem or look right, hmmm?) He wants to 'receive further information about your piece of work (he doesn't even mention which piece!) and 'what inspires me?'. He also wants me to 'kindly email him back with some images and price-list of my artwork that is ready for immediate sales within his price range ($1000- $15,000)..' See the 2 periods? Alarm Bells! See the pressure of 'immediate sales' ? Ding! Ding! Be worried. Be very worried about this offer! Be very suspicious! And gee, dear email art scammer, You must think that I must be really, really desperate to believe that anyone would pay me $15,000 for any of my paintings! How stupid and gullible does he think I am? He hopes to 'hear from me soon..' Two periods. He says he 'found my 'contact while surfing' - Come on now, please!

Please be careful about answering such emails. In fact, it would be best for you to not even answer these types of emails to be safe. What I've read about these art scams online via emails to artists has made me very wary. Do your research like I did. Google the first 150 words or so of the email letter and you'll probably find another email scam. Google the scammers' fake name that he has used. Google the words 'art scam'. Please take care and do not fall victim to these art scamming vultures. I have not answered this email or the other one I received after googling the above examples. If you look at the 2nd email, there are those telling 2 periods.

Sure, like any other artist, I like to hear that someone likes my art work, or in fact wants to buy a painting or two. But for a stranger to outright email me offering up to $15,000 for one of my paintings (and not even mention which piece?) makes me fume and so then I wrote this blog post.

In this day and age accepting a cheque from a complete stranger offering you money for 'immediate sales' should alert you that it is probably a phishing scam. These scammers want your personal and private information so that they can try and trick you into giving them access to possibly, your PayPal account! I read that they will email you a fake link to PayPal to click on and enter your PayPal email and password! Because they need a partial refund for overpayment on the shipping or something like that. That is, if you have replied to them, which I haven't. I read that they will offer to send you extra money for shipping with their own shipping company and these kind of stories go on. Never click on any suspicious email! Think of your bank accounts and credit cards you may have linked to PayPal. If you click on this link and enter your password, you are going to be screwed. Be smart and be careful!

I am sharing these two emails that I have received to help warn other artists out there that there are art scammers out there trying to scam you. The two letters are below. If you have also been sent a phishing art scam email, please leave a comment below. We need to warn other artists and artisans. - Lena Rasmussen

The two emails below are what I received, word for word.

Letter from - February 7, 2018

Greetings,
My name is Cruz Octie from New-York.. I was looking for some artwork online and I found your contact while surfing and I must tell you, You are doing a great job, I would really love to purchase some of your works for my wife as a surprise present regarding our forthcoming 20th anniversary, I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you..Also, kindly email me back with some images and price-list of your artworks that is ready for immediate sales within my price range ($1,000- $15,000).. Hope to hear from you soon..

Thanks and best regards..
Cruz.

Letter 2 from December 20, 2017 - Notice the 2 periods.. and the wording

Name
Joseph Collins

Email
josephcollins026@gmail.com

Comment

Greetings,
My name is Joseph Collins from Florida. I Hope this message finds you well. I saw these creative works on your website.. However, I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed piece within $2000- $12,000 ready for sale...Please do email me back with images and prices of any available works in that range..Also, I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you. let me know if you accept check as mode of Payment.

I will appreciate an utmost response.

Best Regards,

87 Comments

Lena rasmussen

Hi! My name is Lena Rasmussen and I am a mostly self-taught artist from Vancouver Island, BC. I love painting happy and colorful poppies, sunflowers, and tulips from my garden. These are just some of the wonderful things I love to paint.

Stacey Rowe link

7/12/2018 05:25:23 pm

Just got one today from this "Joseph Collins." Thanks so much for posting this and alerting others. I suspected it was a scam from the lousy writing and the non-matching IP address (said he was from OH and the IP registered as Dallas, TX).

Lena link

7/12/2018 10:42:37 pm

Hi Stacey, Thanks for letting me know! I'm glad my post caught your eye and confirmed your own doubt about the cheesy art scammer email. I hope this post helps warn others too. Lena

Sunaina Khandelwal

3/2/2021 07:53:34 am

Hey, I jsut got an email from robertsylvester100@gmail.com
Offering me 2000-5000$ for my paintings.
I realized a week later it was a scam! Thank god I didn’t ship my paintings. I realized it was fake when he sent me an email saying the funds are on hold till shipment isn’t made. And it was going to Ukraine of all places

Same thing, it’s our wedding anniversary and I want to surprise my wife etc ..

Molly Hutchings link

5/19/2021 01:53:13 pm

Like Sunaina's reply, I received the inquiry below from the same name (with "3018" suffix instead of "100")

robertsylvester3018@gmail.com

"Good Day to you, I am Rob from Ohio, am very much interested in the purchase your Art piece for Anniversary to surprise my wife Thanks."

Weird that the scamming group behind these emails reuses the same name; it makes Google-checking trivial. ;-)

3/9/2019 05:11:08 pm

Hi Stacey, Thanks for commenting. I'm glad it has helped you! If my post can help you and others view an actual scammers emails with the lousy writing, and compare it to one of the ones you received, then that is one less person being scammed... I'm glad it alerted you that the email offer was a scam.

Two more very similar scam emails I have received using the names of "Keven Spiker" from Washington, DC and "Potter Denis" from SC.

Stacey R

5/1/2021 07:51:34 am

The exact email I received:

My name is Frank Brown from Washington,DC. I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I stormed on some of your works which i found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit your doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do. With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1000 to $5000. I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept check as a means of payment. Best regards, Brown.

MOMO link

2/17/2020 11:02:59 am

Thanks for posting - just received one from "Thomas Chris" the English was better, but used lines you've posted here. Message below (Thanks again)

Greetings,
My name is Thomas Chris from Sc, USA. my wife has been on the lookout for some artwork lately viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she really likes what you do, I'm also impressed and I like the contrast of your colors , : ) You are doing a great job. I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you. I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece, Kindly confirm the availability for immediate sales .
Thanks and best regards , Thomas .

Keren-Or

2/26/2020 01:13:14 pm

I got the same email on the same date.
thank you for making this post available on the web to check on people.

this is the same email: thomaschris021@gmail.com

Rebecca Hillis

8/28/2020 01:40:02 am

I got one today too..

" I am Bernard Max from South Carolina, USA , I am interested in purchasing one of your artworks, I like the contrast of your colors , I would appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece and also like to receive further information about your location and what inspires you: )
Thanks , Bernard .

Thanks but no thanks Bernard

April Rimpo

9/10/2020 01:06:58 pm

I received the Bernard Max email today 9/10/20. Same wording as others mentioned. What I don't get is they are sending emails through my website inquiry yet ask me for what I'd recommend for them. Now if you are already on my website can't you see what you like or don't like? Why would I select for you?

Generally an auto delete for me, but sometimes I reply with something like "feel free to browse my website to select a piece. You can buy it through PayPal and I'll ship to you, no pickup" Because we all know part of the scam is sending their shipper to pickup and of course no PayPal they can't use that to make a fraudulent sale..

Jay link

10/21/2020 08:14:04 am

I just received the “Bernard Max from SC” email yesterday. In the middle of typing a response, I decided to google his name and found this site. I’m tempted to complete the email and draw this out. If I’m wasting their time, maybe I’m keeping the scammer from getting someone else.

Tim Blackburn link

10/26/2020 06:49:44 am

I received the same Bernard Max from Sc email this last week. It was almost identical to the one that Rebcca Hills posted, only a few words or comments differ. Not knowing it was phishing scam, but because I wouldn't do business that way even if it was legit, I replied and said I didn't have anything for sale.

(About a year ago, I received a similarly worded email though my SquareSpace contact form. It was a different name and email, but again someone saying that he saw his wife looking at my artwork and he wanted to surprise her with a gift.)

After I sent my reply email to "Bernard Max," I googled "Bernard Max Sc" and found this forum. I'm very grateful for this venue and these postings.

Maya Freelon link

2/17/2020 05:49:31 pm

The scammers are back at it again! I just received this scam email and I googled the email address and your blog showed up first. Thanks for posting!

Name: Thomas chris

Email Address: Thomaschris021@gmail.com

Subject: Regarding artwork

Message: Greetings,
My name is Thomas Chris from Sc, USA. my wife has been on the lookout for some artwork lately viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she really likes what you do, I'm also impressed and I like the contrast of your colors , : ) You are doing a great job. I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you. I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece, Kindly confirm the availability for immediate sales .
Thanks and best regards , Thomas .

Emre

7/21/2020 11:20:08 am

I wanted to share that I too received an email with the exact same wording, but his name was Max Denise. Before replying I looked his email up and came to this blog. I am so glad İ did. Thank you for sharing this information to warn other artists of these horrible scammers!

Kristen Muench link

7/24/2020 11:23:40 am

I just received one, too. This one from a Max Denise. Almost the exact same language, missed grammar and all.

I did send photos to him, but found you before I made the mistake of sending a painting. I too need to learn to watermark my photos.

Thank you all for posting this scam and sharing your experiences.

Kristen

Marleen link

3/9/2020 10:03:01 am

Hi Lena, I just received the very same mail from Chris Thomas and after googling the address found your blog. Thanks a lot for posting this so that other artists can be aware of this scammer. Have a nice day, Marleen

Lidija

4/13/2020 04:58:06 pm

Thank you all for this post. I received the same email from Thomas Chris. Something smelled bad and it’s true. I wasn’t going to give him any of my info, ever since he asked. He is very creative, I must admit, told me bunch of nonsense about his wife and moving to Philippines.
Very funny.
I wish you all the best success and best of luck and thank you again!

Maja Wrońska

7/5/2020 06:06:30 am

thank you have a nice day too, I received same email but his name is Max Denise

Stacey R link

5/1/2021 07:48:27 am

This guy emailed me and had the worst grammar and spoke weird. I knew it sounded fishy and creepy. Frank Brown

Sonali

6/14/2021 02:40:24 pm

Received one from jamesbernald1759@gmail.com today

Charlie link

7/25/2018 06:38:51 am

Thank you for this post, just received the same email from this Joseph email. Searched their email address and your article came up first, very useful!

8/6/2018 04:34:52 pm

No problems, Charlie, I am glad that you found the article and that it was useful for you. The more people that come across this post the better! Thank you for your comment! Lena

Carolina Elizabeth link

8/6/2018 02:36:59 pm

You would think that he/she would at least get more clever about the email address used or by the message sent, but I guess if it's working for them, why reinvent the wheel? Ugh it angers me so much that most of us are working so hard and thinking that he is out there scamming those who are going through a hard enough time to trust cons like this.

8/6/2018 04:44:53 pm

Hi Carolina, I'm not sure whom said it first? "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is?" You listened to your inner voice that this email was a bit suspicious, and that is a good thing. We all really need a break that would really help us out, and I totally understand. Thanks for your comment! Lena

Sarah link

8/22/2018 01:50:54 pm

I’m so glad there are good people out there posting this info! I only wish I had the sense to google it a month ago. I’ve been in contact with “Joseph Collins” for over a month now, sending emails back and forth and literally learning what I thought was his life story. He said he was from the Philippines which is why his English wasn’t so great. I’m already a suspicious person. I’m always shocked when any stranger wants to buy my work. I knew it was fishy, but I think a small part of me ignored my instinct because I was so desperate for a large sale like this. The check that he sent actually cleared the bank. I only waited 24 hours before I sent his “shipping” money through western union. It took my bank 4 days to flag his check as “stolen or forged” and it was cancelled. Since I had already wired half of it, my account ended up negative. I filed a police report, but was told I most likely will never get that money back and it’s nearly impossible to find these people. A very hard and expensive lesson to learn. I still feel like an idiot for believing him and I’m beating myself up over it. Thank you for posting this. I’ll be writing a blog post on my website as well.

8/28/2018 04:17:11 pm

Hi Sarah,
I feel so upset and really sad to hear what this sleazeball art scammer has done to you! What happened to you enrages me! He took advantage of the situation and your vulnerability. He is truly an evil and cruel person! On top of being scammed, you lost your own money and you are beating yourself up! It's not your fault! He knew what he was doing, he knew you were kind and that you trusted people. He preyed on you. We have to stop people like him! Yes, this was a very hard and expensive lesson to learn! I'm so sorry this happened to you! I really appreciate your sharing of this awful experience. Please let me know when you post on your blog. If we share website links to each others websites on our posts, then I think more people will find the information before it is too late! Google might rank this informaton higher? Take care, Lena

Sarah Day-Short link

8/29/2018 06:58:53 am

Thanks Lena! I published the blog post a couple of days ago. I think that’s a great idea. Maybe more people will see it and save themselves. I’ll go and put a link to yours right now. Here’s the link to mine. https://www.sarahdayshortart.com/blog/2018/8/27/i-got-scammed

Tracey link

2/28/2019 03:40:31 pm

Hi Lena,
Many thanks for posting about this. Just received the 'josephcollins026@gmail.com' email scam; very disappointed it wasn't genuine, but grateful your post warned me against responding. Sigh...

Trish Jones link

5/17/2019 10:26:49 am

Thank you! Just received an email from Joseph Collins (josephcollins026@gmail.com ) Very similar!
-Trish
ArtbyTrishJones.com

Ludwina Van Hyfte

8/12/2019 11:07:15 pm

I got one of those emails from ag.emil0003@gmail.com, to sad these things happen.

Sally J Smith link

9/24/2019 02:16:17 pm

Hi Lena,

Thank you so much for posting this. I just got an email request from this same scammer...Joseph Collins using the same email address. Your warning brought me right back to earth as I was about to get all excited about a buyer showing up looking for one of my sculptures! PHEW! you saved another grateful artist!

Bright Blessings and much gratitude,

Sally

Stacy

10/19/2019 03:21:58 am

I also received an email from Joseph Collins.

This seemed fishy, and I appreciate you providing the confirmation that it was indeed a scam!

Mirjam Gasser link

1/10/2020 02:31:38 am

I reiceved 2 emails, same content!!

Thomas Chris
Ralph Morris

First Name: Thomas
Last Name: chris
Email: Thomaschris021@gmail.com
Phone: -
Message: Greetings,
My name is Thomas Chris from Sc, USA. my wife has been on the lookout for some artwork lately viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she really likes what you do, I'm also impressed and I like the contrast of your colors , : ) You are doing a great job. I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you. I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece, Kindly confirm the availability for immediate sales .
Thanks and best regards , Thomas .

you saved me

1/21/2020 04:40:55 pm

thank you Mirjam,
you saved me and my art work.
I was about to send my work.

I got totally same mail from Thomas Chris.

K.B. link

1/26/2020 07:24:23 am

Thanks for sharing this blog post! Just received the same email today and it looked suspicious. Looked up the email address on Google and found this blog.

Spammers are easier for me to spot when asking about new pieces or what inspires the art, considering our site honors the legacy of my best friend who passed away.

I'll be sure to share any other spam emails that come my way!

Claire J

1/31/2020 02:34:14 am

Thomas Chris also emailed me recently- I was suspicious but luckily this page came up when I googled him, before I got into more that a few replies! Your guard is down when someone emails about your work because you get so used to unsolicited enquiries from people.

The email read as follows:
Greetings,
My name is Thomas Chris from Sc, USA. my wife has been on the lookout for some artwork lately viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she really likes what you do, I'm also impressed and I like the contrast of your colors , : ) You are doing a great job. I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you. I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece, Kindly confirm the
availability for immediate sales .
Thanks and best regards , Thomas .

Hopefully this stops anyone being caught out! Thanks for your online presence, it's helped me from being scammed!

Dan link

1/31/2020 10:08:58 am

Thanks Lena for sharing this blog post! I have just received the same emails a couple of days ago and today from "Thomas Chris" (thomaschris021@gmail.com). Looked up the email address on Google and found this blog. The emails went like this:

1st Email
I would greatly appreciate if you
could possibly recommend a few completed original piece within my
budget $1000- $2500 ready for immediate sale... Just need something
within that price range for a surprise to my wife (can tell she likes
your work). I would appreciate if you can figure out a piece of work
that would serve that purpose. Kindly email images and prices of any
available works in that range.
Thanks and blessing
Thomas .

2nd Email:
Thanks for the message, I must tell you I intend to give my wife a
surprise with the immediate purchase of the piece (“Wine cheese”) of
$250 . If you'd like to know, I'm relocating to the Philippines soon
and our wedding anniversary is fast approaching. So I'm trying to
gather some good stuff to make this event a surprise. As regarding
payment, I would like to inform you, that my wife handles the family
credit card and paypal Bank transaction. So i would authorize a
check to you for the payment as soon as i have your full name and
contact address (preferably for FedEx delivery no P.O box). Also, as
soon as you receive the check and it clears your bank, my shipping
agent who is also moving my personal effect will contact you to
arrange shipping/pick up of the piece from you (this is to avoid my
wife receiving it, if been shipped directly to my address which would
ruin the surprise for this event). You both have to sign a proof of
pick up at the most.

I would have handled this much differently if I'd been at home but i
am actually going offshore and won't be back for another couple of
weeks, and do not have access to a lot of cash over here to expedite
this transaction... trying to kill two birds with a stone. :-)

Have a Positive Day!

Thomas .

PS: In the meantime, kindly get back to me with your cell phone no. so
i can try and call you later as the phones may be working better when
this storm passes through.

It seemed suspicious, so I have not responded back. THIS IS A SCAM!

Jen link

2/3/2020 07:21:06 pm

email: russellturnerofficial@gmail.com

First Email:
On Tue, Jan 14, 2020 at 9:36 PM Russell Turner <russellturnerofficial@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello... My name is Russell from Fleming Island, FLorida. I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I stormed on some of your works which i found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit your doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $500 to $5000.

As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept check as a means of payment.

Regards.

Second Email:
Thanks for the response. Having carefully looked through the pictures of your works. I have chosen the piece (Autumn On The Bruce, $725
Oil on Canvas - 2018 - 16 x 20 x 0.5 Priced at $725). Am presently working on my relocation to Philippines soon, thus, am doing all i could to make this event quite a memorable one.

In regards to payment, my reason for choosing check as a means of payment is owing to the fact that my wife handles the family bank cards and paypal transactions. So am choosing check to keep this a complete surprise as intended. Consequently, I would authorize a check to you for the payment of the chosen piece of work as soon as i have your full name and contact address (preferably for FedEx delivery no P.O box). As soon as you receive the check and it clears your bank, I will have my personal shipping agent (who is also moving my other properties) contact you to arrange shipping/pick up of the piece from you. This is to avoid my wife receiving it if been directly shipped to my address which would ruin the surprise for the wedding anniversary.

I will be looking forward to receiving your phone number, full name and physical address the check should be issued to, in your email.

regards,

Russell

Sound Familiar?

Thanks for posting this and for everyone participating.

Dawn

2/10/2020 06:11:05 am

Just got these exact emails from russellturnerofficial@gmail.com! Thank you so much for posting this!

Sally J Smith - Greenspirit Arts link

2/3/2020 08:50:52 pm

This is my second reporting of scam art inquiry emails, sadly. Keep reporting everyone...and thank you Lena for continuing to host this thread

On 1-13-2020 I received an inquiry on my website which read:

subject: ArtWork Enquire <note mis-spelling>

I am John Gilbert from United States , I am very much interested in the purchase your Art piece for Anniversary to surprise my wife Thanks.

I look forward to reading from you Asap Regards.

email sent from: johngilbert580@gmail.com

Ingrid at Edward B. Gordon studio link

2/8/2020 03:52:07 pm

John Gilbert showed up via email here too day before yesterday I even answered saying all larger sales are handled through the gallery, and already thought that it is a scam, here is his second email/reply:

email from John Gilbert johngilbert580@gmail.com

Hello Mate ,

Thanks for the message, however, I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece within my budget $2000- $5000 ready for immediate sale... Just need something within that price range for a surprise to my wife (can tell she likes your work). I would appreciate if you can figure out a piece of work that would serve that purpose. Kindly email images and prices of any available works in that range. Thanks and blessing John

He would not have any luck with cheques here anyway we are in Germany and do not use cheques any longer ...
BE CAREFUL

Caroline link

2/10/2020 06:56:58 am

Hello Ingrid B.

I just found an email from JohnGilbert sent to my inbox.

Thanks

Caroline

Jonathan

3/2/2021 11:41:46 pm

I got the exact same email today, but from robertsylvester100@gmail.com. So glad I found this website!

susan

2/4/2020 08:27:37 am

Me too, email from Thomaschris... kind of sucks as it was my first request from my web site

Krasimira Georgieva link

3/20/2020 10:50:09 am

This is my experience as of this evening:

I have received an email and replayed to it as follows.

Greetings,
My name is Thomas Chris from Sc, USA. my wife has been on the lookout for some artwork lately viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she really likes what you do, I'm also impressed and I like the contrast of your colors , : ) You are doing a great job. I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you. I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece, Kindly confirm the availability for immediate sales.

Thanks and best regards,
Thomas.

My response:

Hi Thomas (if this is your name),

Your email is going to be published online as yet another example of a scamp together with my response to it.

I am both angry at you and pity you for not having anything better and more honorable to do. No matter how many people you may have tricked or trick in the future, you will still be a loser for the way you get what you want (whatever this thing is, mystery to me - money?).

Good that there is support among the artists to share the warnings. If you cannot be a part of their (web) society, at least be more original/ creative in your "art" and next time do not venture with the same old wording.

However, my first advice is more worthy - get a decent job! The second is irony, if you do not recognize it.

If this lets you down somehow, let me tell you made me feel good for 5 minutes if this may be any consolation on your consciousness.

Shame on you,

Krasimira Georgieva
www.KrasimiraGeorgieva.com

Lynn link

4/17/2020 12:02:08 pm

Same scammer... same anniversary gift... but this one was from SusanBoyle1937@gmail.com - and was a text. Thanks for this site... it came up when I Googled her email address!

Anna

4/20/2020 12:14:00 pm

Hello,

I got the same email from thomaschris and I actually just sent him a proforma invoice with my bank account info.

Just now I had the idea to check within my contacts list where we met and then I searched on google and came across your blog.

I haven't received any money yet and haven't sent money either (I shared my bank account info though).

What would you suggest me to do at this point?

Would greatly appreciate any comment.

Thanks a lot.

Tannis Hopkins

4/24/2020 09:38:17 pm

I too just received a fishy inquiry email from a Russell Turner. Was immediately suspicious as I have seen this sort of email before. I will delete it and not reply. Deplorable scammers preying on artists especially during these hard times.

Hello... I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to my wife's birthday which is just around the corner. I stormed on some of your works which i found quite impressive and intriguing; I must admit you are doing quite an impressive job and good at what you do.

I would like to purchase a piece of your works as a surprise gift for my wife in honor of her forthcoming 50th birthday. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes. My budget for this is within the price range of $500 to $2000.

I would also like to know if you accept check as a means of payment.

Regards.

Russell

Miti Aiello link

5/26/2020 06:46:58 pm

Look out for this scam letter - So glad I found you!!

Greetings,
I am Max Denise from South Carolina, USA , I am very much interested in the purchase your Art piece for our Anniversary to surprise my wife , I’m also impressed and I like the contrast of your colors , I would like to receive further information about your location piece of work and what inspires you: ) You are doing a great job, I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece, I look forward to reading from you Asap Regards , Denise

7/5/2020 06:08:44 am

I got the same email

Chidzey

8/4/2020 03:50:28 am

Yup - this one just hit Australia
what a waste of time and energy and an insult to those of us working hard at our calling

Ronnie Rennoldson link

6/6/2020 10:36:12 am

Hi, thanks for all the comments about this scam, which has now hit England . i was alerted by the poor grammar and that it is clear on both my instagram feed and on my website what people have to do to buy a piece: the clincher was ‘ would you accept a cheque’!
No, i do not!
Thanks

6/13/2020 07:12:24 am

I've posted to this thread before and I'm so grateful that Lena has made a space on her website where we could keep track of these scammers. Today I got TWO in one day!!! They are copied in full below just so people can see how the format is so similar but slightly different. I have disabled the email links.

Keep alert fellow artists, these crooks are still out there phishing!

yours in service,
Sally J Smith

Scam 1): from-petermaxwell268 (at) gmail.com

My name is Peter Maxwell from Seattle, WA . I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I stormed on some of your works which i found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit your doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do. With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary.
It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1500 to $7000.I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept check as a means of payment.

Best regards,

peter.

Scam 2) - he didn't even get my name right!

from-thomaslyte026 (at) gmail.com

Hi Lynne,

Your work is beautiful, evocative and oh so lyrical….
Your art has the quality of magic and looking at it never gets old!!!! I appreciate your vision and hope to find my own…..keep making magic!!!! I'm Thomas Lyte from Tennessee. I would really love to purchase some of your works for my wife as a surprise present regarding our forthcoming wedding anniversary, I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you..Also, kindly email me back with some images and price list of your artworks that is ready for immediate sales within my price range ($1,000- $15,000).. Hope to hear from you soon..

Thanks and best regards.

Thanks,
Thomas

Melissa Bateman

7/8/2020 10:33:00 am

I got the exact same Peter Maxwell email recently.
I was really sad to find that it was a hoax. Why pick on artists? Thanks for this blog- really helpful.

Catherine

7/9/2020 01:05:38 am

Hi Lena,
Got one from Max Denise too.
Am so suspicious of everything that comes in these days, so went looking to see if there was any warnings out there and found yours. Thank you for sharing

Greetings,
I am Max Denise from South Carolina USA , I actually observed my wife
has been viewing your website on my laptop and I guess she likes the
contrast of your colors, I must also say you are doing great job. I
would like to know your location and what inspires you. I am very
much interested in the purchase to surprise my wife for our upcoming
Anniversary , I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly
recommend a few completed original piece, I look forward to reading
from you Asap Regards , Max

Hank

7/15/2020 06:29:03 am

I just got the same exact email from Max Denise. It's so sad. Thanks for writing this article, very helpful.

Lisa Marie Robinson link

8/14/2020 08:56:51 am

I get these every couples of months or so. It's always a variation on the 'Anniversary surprise for wife'. Sometimes it's longer with more fluff, or short like today's, always a different person though. Robert Sylvester is the latest.

--------------

I am Robert Sylvester from the States , I am very much interested in the purchase your Art piece for Anniversary to surprise my wife
Thanks.

I look forward to reading from you Asap
Regards

Colleen Walsh

1/20/2021 07:48:18 am

I just got this one today... 1/20/2021

Name: robert sylvester

Email: robertsylvester100@gmail.com

Message: Good morning to you, I am Rob from Ohio, I actually observed my wife has been viewing your website on my laptop and I guess she likes some of your Art piece, I must also say you are doing great job. I would like to know what inspired that work. I am very much interested in the purchase to surprise my wife Thanks.

Verena

1/25/2021 11:27:07 am

ohhh...Rob from Ohio, he wrote to me as well. :) "i would like to know what inspired your work" giggles... Thank you all very kindly for collecting this valuable information. love, v

Bethany Vere link

2/4/2021 02:32:33 am

I am SO glad for this post.
'Robert Sylvester' has emailed me over the last week asing to buy the two most expensive pieces on my website and is telling me he is relocating to Ukraine so will need me to post them there. The wording of the emails are extremely strange hence why I googled his email address and thank god I did!
Possibly a gang of scammers not based in the USA but other places in the world hence the lack of grammar and repetitiveness of emails?

Robin

2/5/2021 08:29:58 am

Yeh I got Rob's solicitous e-mail the other day. Thanks for all of you's reporting! I'm gonna hook up with his wife soon as he's gone to the Ukraine!

Franca Fabian

8/22/2020 10:46:48 am

I received this scam mail from Ashley Charles (ashcharles300@gmail.com) yesterday, Aug 2020. The text doesn’t change much, so it was easy to see that it is a scam, after googeling it.

Greetings... I am Ashley from Houston, Texas. I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I came across some of your works which I found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you're doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1500 to $3000.I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept a check as a means of payment.

Regards,

Ashley C

David Oscarson link

9/25/2020 11:45:17 am

I just received the Bernard Max email and almost fell for it. This is quite disgusting in that there are some many criminals out there attempting to prey on us who earn nominal and fair amounts for our artwork.
Thanks everyone for the red flags on these bums.

Alison Cutts link

9/29/2020 04:19:01 am

I've also received the 'Bernard Max' email a couple of weeks ago... foolishly opened it from my spam box!

I

Carla

10/26/2020 08:33:12 am

I’ve also had an email from a Bernard Max that looks to be the same. I’ve foolishly replied but not with any details but I suppose they know my email address works and I reply. Damn. Thank you for popping your experience in this forum.

Laurie Landry

10/6/2020 06:15:07 am

Got this today:
Greetings ,
I am Bernard Max from South Carolina, USA , I am interested in purchasing one of your artworks, I like the contrast of your colors , I would appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece and also like to receive further information about your location and what inspires you: )
Thanks , Bernard .

Via my web contact form. Thanks for taking the time to cut and paste and email, I guess?!

10/26/2020 08:32:45 am

I too had this exact same email today.

Artladi link

10/24/2020 05:36:58 am

Unfortunately I gave this creep my address before the second reply from him-note the 2 different names.
Thanks so much for running this blog!
"Hello there, my name is Russell from Fleming Island, Fl... I've been on the lookout for some artworks in regards to my wife's birthday which is just around the corner. I actually observed your works on google which I found quite impressive and intriguing; I must admit you are doing quite an impressive job and good at what you do. I would like to purchase a piece of your works as a surprise gift for my wife in honor of her forthcoming 50th birthday. It could be any style of paintings (Abstract, Contemporary, etc...) and color, but medium size or large.. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you could possibly recommend a few completed pieces. Kindly send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes. My budget for this is within the price range of $1000 to $3000. I would also like to know if you accept a check as means of payment."
"
How is your day going? I received your email. Thanks for the details provided; in order to have this transaction expedited, I will be contacting a client of mine to have the check issued for your payment. The check will include the shipping agent fees and some extra fund to handle both the shipment of my artwork with you as well as the shipment of my other properties he is currently handling for me. This is to avoid delay and any inconveniences that may arise from his part.The excess cash on the check should be remitted to my shipping agent who would be in contact with you as soon as the check clears your bank. Then you both could arrange for a pick up time of the purchased piece. "

Edward

10/26/2020 08:35:32 am

I too had the Bernard Max email and foolishly replied. I don’t know what’s coming back yet but this person knows I respond now. I wish that I’d seen this thread before responding. Thankfully, I don’t have anything for anyone to buy right now as I mostly create art to order. Thank you for writing this post to make everyone aware of what’s happening.

Eva Wo

11/1/2020 08:24:52 pm

I received the exact same email from a Josef Fisher
joseffisher93@gmail.com

It reads:
"Aloha! How are you doing? I am Josef Fisher from Wichita, Kansas. I have been on the lookout for artworks in regards to my wife's and my wedding anniversary which is just around the corner. I stormed on to some of your works which I find quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you are doing quite an amazing job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.
That being said, I would like to purchase one or two of your works as a surprise gift to my wife. It would be of great help if you could send me pictures of your piece of work, with their respective prices and sizes, ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1000 to $5000.
I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your piece of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept checks as a means of payment? Best Regards."

then after I responded with some images of available works,

"Thank you for getting back to me. You have lovely pieces! I like them because they speak volume. Having carefully looked through the pictures of your works. I have chosen the digital collage, asking price being $2,225.00 ). I am presently working on my relocation to the Philippines soon. Thus, i'm doing everything possible to make this event quite a memorable one.
My wife handles the family bank cards and Paypal transactions so i am choosing a check to keep this a complete surprise as intended. Consequently, i would authorize a check to you for the payment of the chosen piece of work as soon as I have your; Full name and contact address ( preferably for US Mail delivery no P.O box ).
Soon as you receive the check and it clears in your bank, i will have my personal shipping agent (who is also moving my other properties) contact you to arrange for shipping/pick up of the piece from you. This is to avoid my wife receiving it if being directly shipped to my address which could ruin the surprise for the wedding anniversary.
Kindly send me your cell number in your next email.
Thanks and best regards,
Josef Fisher."

GLAD I FOUND THIS THREAD VIA SARAH DAY-SHORT'S BLOG

11/2/2020 01:38:03 pm

I've received a new one that is being reported now on other artist websites so I thought I'd post it here as well. This scammer took the time to actually pull up one of my titles and put it in the subject line of my email form on my website and then included this request below. Since it followed a similar format to the other scam, I thought I'd check out this name and sure enough, on FB I found several folks reporting getting the exact same email request, so this is another one to watch for. It was especially enticing ( for all of a nono-second ) because they actually used one of my titles...so watch out and do check before replying to these too-good-to-be-true offers. Here is the email, copied and pasted:

return email used: adamfoaster(at)hotmail.com

Hi, I'm Adams, I noticed my wife viewed your website on my laptop and i guess she likes your piece of work. I'm also amazed to have seen your nice works too. I would like to purchase the piece Celestial Firedragon as a surprise for my wife on our Anniversary, is the piece available? and what is the final price?
Thanks and best regards

Augusta Maclean link

11/23/2020 07:35:56 am

I would like to say thank you for this blog!

My gut feeling was telling me that there was something off with this email, but I carried it on for a while to see what would happen.

The first email:- robertsylvester3014@gmail.com
"Good morning to you, I am Rob from Ohio, I actually observed my wife
has been viewing your website on my laptop and I guess she likes some
of your Art piece, I must also say you are doing great job. I would
like to know what inspired that work. I am very much interested in the
purchase to surprise my wife Thanks."

Warning signs, when I replied and he got his name wrong...

I replied, and received a reply to this email with a different email address:- robertsylvester100@gmail.com

I wish I had found this thread before replying, but I have now reported it to Action Fraud and Phishing, so hopefully something will be done.

Many thanks

Jeremy

11/30/2020 03:55:43 pm

I got the exact email today from Robert Sylvester from the address:
robertsylvester100(at)gmail.com

This blog and all the comments have been very helpful in discerning the scam. Thank you!

Nina Nguyen link

12/8/2020 11:28:52 am

I have received the same email from robertsyvester3014@gmail.com.
1st email: Good morning to you, I am Rob from Ohio, I actually observed my wife
has been viewing your website on my laptop and I guess she likes some
of your Art piece, I must also say you are doing great job. I would
like to know what inspired that work. I am very much interested in the
purchase to surprise my wife Thanks.
2nd Email
Thanks for the message, I must tell you I intend to give my wife a
surprise with the immediate purchase of the piece. Also If you'd like
to know, I'm relocating to Ukraine soon and our wedding anniversary is
fast approaching. So I'm trying to gather some good stuff to make this
event a surprise one. I am buying all this 5 images
(Winter..Dancer..woman..Happiness..double happiness) for a gifts to
her.I'm okay with the price, I think it's worth it anyway,so kindly
let me know the postage cost to my Receiver Address in Ukraine and
also including your bank details for the payment Okay.

Regards,
3rd Email
Okay Thanks.....the payment will be made on Monday
4th Email
Hello Nina.....pls kindly resend me your full bank details as such for
the payment Asap Okay

BANK NAME
ACCOUNT NUMBER
ACCOUNT NAME
IBAN/BIC
TOTAL COST

Awaiting to read from you Asap Okay

5th Email

Thanks for your mail......i want you to write it out from the
Attachtment cos i dont want make any mistake Okay

Aly link

12/9/2020 04:02:40 am

I also got two emails today from a Robert Sylvester from Ohio this week (robertsylvester100@gmail.com).

Thank you so much for the heads up. I thought it might be a scam based on his word choice and sentence structure. I also noticed the first email he closed with "Rob" and the second email he closed with "Sylvester".

Timothy Blackburn link

12/16/2020 12:05:56 pm

This is the third email I have received that is part of this scam.

Name: Frank Brown

Email Address: brown24frank@gmail.com

Subject: ART product inquiry

Message: My name is Frank Brown from Conway, Arkansas . I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I stormed on some of your works which i found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit your doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1500 to $7000.

I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept check as a means of payment.

Best regards,

Brown.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you Lena for posting and hosting this bulletin board.
Tim

Timothy Corbett

12/17/2020 04:54:20 am

I just got the same one!

Chris link

5/3/2021 02:45:11 am

Subject: Artwork Inquiry
Sender: jamesbernald1759@gmail.com

Greetings... I am James from Houston, Texas. I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I came across some of your works which I found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you're doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1500 to $3000.I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory.

As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept a check as a means of payment.

Regards

James

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Too good to be true: most people are suddenly very tight ("maybe next month it will be better") as soon as you ask for money for your art. He, on the other hand, is so different, a true lover of art.... :D

Heather

12/26/2020 10:56:46 pm

Just got this one today, the day after Christmas?! Really though?!

From- ashcharles300@gmail.com

Greetings... I am Ashley from Houston, Texas. I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I came across some of your works which I found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you're doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1500 to $3000.

I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept a check as a means of payment.

Regards,

Ashley C

HILARY SLATER link

12/29/2020 04:55:07 pm

Just had a guy contact me today and I found your posts here to check him out - since I suspected it was a scam!
For those who aren’t sure... I specified that I only sell through PayPal, and I’d need his full mailing address and postal code to be able to calculate his shipping cost...
He’s stopped contacting me now, ;) What a surprise ;))

Alisha link

2/17/2021 09:44:27 am

I'm so glad I looked up this email on google.
I got a bit suspicious because of the grammar and the unusually generous pricing as well.

I got this email yesterday from robertsylvester100@gmail.com:

Betreff: ArtWork Enquire
Nachricht: Good morning to you, I am Rob from Ohio, I actually observed my wife has been viewing your website on my laptop and I guess she likes some of your Art piece, I must also say you are doing great job. I would like to know what inspired that work. I am very much interested in the purchase to surprise my wife Thanks.

After asking him some questions I got this reply today:

Hello ,

Thanks for the message, however, I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece within my budget $2000- $5000 ready for immediate sale... Just need something within that price range for a surprise to my wife (can tell she likes your work). I would appreciate if you can figure out a piece of work that would serve that purpose. Kindly email images and prices of any available works in that range. Thanks and blessing Sylvester

And 2-5k is way overpriced for the size of my artworks. So I got warily. Good thing I googled the email adress.

Thank you all for sharing and all the best :)

Vita link

4/21/2021 04:34:57 am

Hi guys! i am so glad that i found this blog art scam...

I am the assistant of the artist Alessio Ceruti, few days ago i received an email from robertsylvester@gmail.com sayng:

"Good Day to you, I am Rob from Ohio, am very much interested in the purchase your Art piece for Anniversary to surprise my wife Thanks. I look forward to reading from you Asap Regards"

Then a second email after my answer:

"Thanks for the message, however, I would greatly appreciate if you
could possibly recommend a few completed original piece within my
budget $2000- $5000 ready for immediate sale... Just need something
within that price range for a surprise to my wife (can tell she likes
your work). I would appreciate if you can figure out a piece of work
that would serve that purpose. Kindly email images and prices of any
available works in that range. Thanks and blessing Sylvester"

Fortunately i didn't send him anything and luckily i googled the email!!!!

Thanks a lot everybody!

Pedra Ferro link

4/22/2021 10:30:19 am

Hi Vita, Rob sent me the same crap!

robertsylvester3018@gmail.com

Good Day to you, I am Rob from Ohio, am very much interested in the
purchase your Art piece for Anniversary to surprise my wife Thanks.

I look forward to reading from you Asap
Regard
___________

robertsylvester100@gmail.com

Hello ,

Thanks for the message, however, I would greatly appreciate if you
could possibly recommend a few completed original piece within my
budget $2000- $5000 ready for immediate sale... Just need something
within that price range for a surprise to my wife (can tell she likes
your work). I would appreciate if you can figure out a piece of work
that would serve that purpose. Kindly email images and prices of any
available works in that range. Thanks and blessing Sylvester

sally

5/3/2021 10:23:49 pm

Thank you for this website, luckily I get it from my friend.

I also received this message
"Thanks for the message, however, I would greatly appreciate if you
could possibly recommend a few completed original piece within my
budget $2000- $5000 ready for immediate sale... Just need something
within that price range for a surprise to my wife (can tell she likes
your work). I would appreciate if you can figure out a piece of work
that would serve that purpose. Kindly email images and prices of any
available works in that range. Thanks and blessing Sylvester"

Gennaro

5/6/2021 09:55:42 am

Thanks a lot Lena for posting this. I fell for the first two emails and spent the morning preparing a list of artworks and images; when I finally send it, the email and wetransfer bounced back (fortunately!) twice with an error message (email disabled) and when I googled the email I found this post with the exact message others also received!

"however, I would greatly appreciate if you could possibly recommend a few completed original piece within my budget $2000- $5000 ready for immediate sale... Just need something within that price range for a surprise to my wife (can tell she likes your work). I would appreciate if you can figure out a piece of work that would serve that purpose. Kindly email images and prices of any available works in that range. Thanks and blessing Sylvester"

From
Robert Sylvester robertsylvester100@gmail.com

6/14/2021 02:42:27 pm

Thank you so much, this saved me just now. Below is the email address I received email from:
jamesbernald1759@gmail.com

Greetings... I am James from Houston, Texas. I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I came across some of your works which I found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you're doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1500 to $3000.I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory.

As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept a check as a means of payment.

Regards

James

6/15/2021 09:39:43 am

Watch out folks, here's another one! It uses nearly the exact same language and format.

This one was supposedly from an "Alice Anabel" using the email:
aliceanabel28@gmail.com

"Greetings... I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my husband's anniversary which is just around the corner. I came across some of your works which I found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you're doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my husband in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1000 to $5000.

I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept a check as a means of payment.

Regards."

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