Art Scam

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

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

Letter from - February 7, 2018

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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

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​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,