Friday 11 February 2011

Art Scams

Will they never go away? Today I've been hassled by three different scammers. Firstly some pain called "Jordana Jack" wanting me to sell her works - she'll organise the shipping. If you don't know how this one works, it's like this:
They ask for you to give them a price for a work but they will "use their own shipper":, then they ask you to take too much money for some convoluted reason and ask you to repay them the rest. Jeez they think people are stupid.

Strangely when you tell them you only accept paypal and use your own shippers they go away. In this case it was amusing in that they asked to purchase two prints - which would have cost about 10€ to post!

The other two scams are more subtle

One said I had been 'chosen' to have my work featured in a publication of art. Akl I had to do was send them 1500€...  The other one asked me to enter an open exhibition/competition - at the cost of 80$ per artwork, where, if I was one of the lucky chosen ones,  my work would be *gasp* 'exhibited for two years... on a website. Hmmm. And there is a first prize worth 4,900€!!! Wait a minute - the key word is "worth"... The first prize is TWO WHOLE PAGES featuring your work in a new art publication. Second prize ("worth" 2,450€) is ONE PAGE. But never mind if you don't win, you can buy a page....

I guess artists are vulnerable souls desperate for appreciation, so are easy prey for bastards like these. But I wish they would go away.

In the meantime a big appreciation is due to the following scam-fighters:

http://stopartscams.blogspot.com/

http://www.artscams.com/

1 comment:

  1. A scams a scam. If they are offering you a share of £100m from Nigeria or offering to give a better dealings than your current dealings (phonejacker), you need to to be aware that no one gives you nothing for nothing. I should know. I've got more viagra here than I know what to do with.

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