Avoid Art Scams

Avoid Art Scams

If you're an artist and have a website you have probably been contacted by scammers trying to steal your artwork. If you've been contacted before, you know what to look out for. This video is mostly for those who have not encountered this yet and don't know how to spot a scam.

Many of the emails have wording very much like this:
"Top of the Morning to you, 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 a great job. I would like to know what inspired that work. I am very much interested in the purchase to surprise my wife. Kindly confirm the availability for immediate art work for sales." The line that I put in bold text is a dead giveaway to the scam.

Here is the premise of the scam. Someone contacts you regarding a piece or pieces of art on your website. It will usually be the biggest, most expensive piece on the site, so it get's you interested real quick. They ask to send you a cashier's check, or bank check for payment. You receive the check and ship the art thinking all is well. Of course, the check is fake, but your bank won't know that for a couple of weeks. Once they notify you the art has already shipped. You are out your art and have no money to show for it.

It used to be that they would only contact you by email, but more recently they have been filling out the contact form on the website to make it seem more legitimate and to skirt the spam filter on your email service provider. The emails usually have three things in common: 1. What is the price for the work; 2. Is the piece available; 3. How do I pay for it. If you have a good website like me, then all of that is covered on your website. That's how I always know it's a scam. If you don't include all the information you should on your website, then you may not realize it's a scam until too late.

An artist in my community posted on Facebook that she had been scammed with a variation that was in regard to licensing her art. She got bilked out of money and art.

Be careful out there. Be vigilant and protect yourself!

If you'd like to learn to painting abstracts, then please join me for a painting workshop: (You can view a list of 2018 workshops HERE)

• July 13-14 Art Alliance of Greensboro, Greensboro, NC. To register contact Liz Busch: artalliancegso@gmail.com.
• July 27-29 Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, CO. To register contact Haley Van Camp: hvancamp@gjartcenter.org.
• August 8-10 David M. Kessler Fine Art Studio, Winston-Salem, NC. For information and registration Click Here.
• August 23-25 Franciscan Life Process Center, Lowell, MI. For more information and registration Click Here.
• September 6-8 Live Your Art Studio, Carlsbad, CA. For more information and registration Click Here.
• September 10-12 Merced Art Center, Merced, CA. To register contact Bo Petty 209-388-1090.

As always, thanks so much for your support!

David

P.S. If you you'd like to learn how to paint abstracts in the comfort of your home or studio, Abstract Painting Academy is my online course:

Abstract Painting Academy is the next best thing to a live workshop event. You can find out more by Clicking Here.

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