1. To tell my own story as the target of a scammer
2. To provide tips to help other artists avoid being scammed (see list below)
My Story: The Anatomy of a Scam
The initial contact
Hello,
Thanks and best regards.
When I first read the email below while Jay and I were vacationing in Maine, I was really happy I had a new potential buyer who had taken the time to look through my paintings online. Here’s the Cookies, Cupcakes and Ice Cream section on my website that John referenced.
My website and social media efforts were finally paying off!
I didn’t question this email which was remarkably similar to one I received a month ago from an old friend, Bob – except that the painting was a surprise for his wife’s birthday. Bob (full disclosure: can’t use his real name and spoil the surprise) even asked me to ship the painting to his friend’s home.
I figured that maybe I had met John’s wife during one of our recent California trips. Perhaps she had seen my work the the LA Dwell on Design Show, or at VMF Winery in Healdsberg, CA.
After hitting send, I realized John never asked me about the price. I decided to let it go until the next email so Jay and I could be on time for our ranger tour at Acadia National Park.
The second email. That night I wrote back describing the painting, and asked when his anniversary was. This was his response:
Thanks for the message, Yes, its the piece am talking about! I must tell you I intend to give my wife a surprise with the immediate purchase of the piece. If you’d like to know, I’m relocating to the Philippines soon and our wedding anniversary is around the corner, precisely on the 8th of July. We are having a few of our new friends over, so I’m trying to gather some good stuff to make this event a surprise, and am planning to make the unveiling of the piece the main event of the day.
As regarding payment, my wife handles the family credit card and Paypal transactions, so i will 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 offshore and won’t be back for another couple 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!
John
What a nice idea to celebrate this special occasion! I was flattered that my painting would be the center of attention. Sounds like a nice friendly email, right?
John’s explanation of why he didn’t want to use credit cards was just like my friend Bob’s. Both wanted to mail checks so their wives wouldn’t see the purchase on the monthly statement and ruin the surprise. And what a coincidence – July 8th is my anniversary too!
So I quickly and enthusiastically wrote back again, providing the price, along with my shipping address (Jay’s office) and cell phone number since we were on vacation.
That night, I looked up John Murray on LinkedIn and didn’t find an obvious match. I started wondering if this could be a scam. Immediately, I regretted giving a stranger my cell phone number, and telling him we were away (a robbery in the making?) I told Jay I was uncomfortable with the information I had disclosed, and glad I hadn’t said more.
The 3rd email full of red flags. This message waiting for me at 6am:
Hope you are good. Thanks for the details which I’ve noted down, it’s so nice to hear we share the same anniversary date, and I do hope you have a memorable one too!
My shipping agent is due in the U.S on Monday, so i have contacted a client of mine to issue out a check which will include my shipping agent fees to you right away. This is done to avoid delay or any inconvenience that may arise from his part and to allow check to clear before pick up. However, courtesy demand i must first appeal to your self interest and ask for your help in remitting the extra (after deducting your fee for the piece) to the shipping agent as soon as the check clears, I would have handled this much differently if I’d been at home but am a bit pressed for time as our anniversary is fast approaching and do not have access to a lot of cash over here to expedite this transaction… Kindly deduct any IRS tax incurred on the extra before giving the balance the shipping agent. As i do not want you to involve any of your personal funds in this transaction, that is why all fund is made available to you. As an aside, they are not sending any bill or hold you responsible for the payment of my shipping contract with them.
I am really sorry for the mix up and will appreciate if you get back to me asap to know if i can entrust you with this transaction.
Many thanks and talk to you soon
Did I read this right, I wondered? Maybe I just needed to go back to bed and clear my head…
I was thinking: What’s this about the shipping agent who just happens to be arriving in the U.S. on Monday? Why is John going to send a check for more than the purchase price? It struck me as odd this was the second time he mentioned he doesn’t have much cash, which he doesn’t need if he’s sending a check. With my accounting background, I zeroed right in on the “IRS tax” wording. Anyone living in California would know it’s called sales tax. And what’s all that gibberish about not holding me responsible for the shipping contract?
When I showed the email to Jay, he immediately googled “artist scam”. What he found was that this “purchase” has all the characteristics of a typical artist scam, My particular scam went beyond many in its ingenuity by describing my website and somehow coming up with my exact anniversary date!
I decided to shut this whole thing down by politely explaining that this transaction would have to be handled through PayPal. I never heard from John again – as expected.
Tips on How to Spot an Artist Scam
Here are some tips on what to look for in an internet scam, some of which probably apply to social media and phone scams too. Not all of these items by themselves would indicate an scam (e.g. Bob’s birthday purchase was legitimate; sometimes good things happen!), but taken together they make this scam easier to spot.
- The scammer has a deadline coming up quickly. He is hoping that you’ll ship the painting before you find out his check has bounced.
- The purchase is a surprise gift
- Payment must be made by check
- The scammer creates an emotional, heartfelt story that you want to believe (e.g. birthday, anniversary)
- A third party is involved in the transaction (e.g. the agent)
- The scammer is willing to pay more than the asking price. In the real world, this just doesn’t happen.
- A “reimbursement” check is requested of the artist for the agent, before the buyer’s check has cleared
- The scammer wants to handle the shipping (unlikely since buyers usually avoid having anything to do with shipping)
- The scammer includes just enough personalized information to make this believable, the latest twist in email scams enabled by using sophisticated technology (e.g. a specific reference to my website was included)
- The buyer lives outside of the U.S.
- The message is poorly written with grammatical errors, misspellings, and inaccurate information (e.g. IRS tax)
- Beware of coincidences such as shared birthdays and anniversaries. Don’t let yourself be sucked in!
I used to think that scams were reserved for the unsuspecting sick and elderly who didn’t know any better. I assumed I would always know better. Not any more!
Having said that, I won’t blame myself too much for not recognizing this scam right away since I was in vacation mode. And no damage was done. I just feel silly for letting it go as far as it did, which was 2 days.
Key Lessons Learned from a Artist Scam: How to Protect Yourself
- Just remember to keep your eyes open and your checkbook shut
- Only accept checks for the purchase price. Stay out of the check cashing business.
- Make sure the buyer’s check clears before shipping artwork, or use traditional payment vehicles like PayPal. Be patient and don’t rush the process.
- Stay objective and don’t let your emotions interfere with your judgement
- Listen to that inner voice that’s telling you something doesn’t feel right. Find that balance between being too trusting and too cynical.
And read this excellent article on How To Recognize an Art Scam in the Agora Gallery blog, which describes my scam perfectly and reinforces everything I have learned.
There’s definitely an upside to this story. This was a wakeup call. I’ve learned some things that will carry over into my internet life for many years to come, if not a lifetime.
If I missed anything, please feel free to post comments that will help other people in the future. Thank you!
