Some years ago I had a similar experience with being sent a check (stolen) for more than the asked price, played along enough to contact the bank, learn who all the players were and send it all to the FBI and they never responded.
My best sales happen with real people in my studio. It helps that I’ve lived in the same location for 54 years.
I have a good one...An "artist" wanted to use a photo of mine for a painting. He offered me money for the use of the image. I went with it for a while. I was then asked for my bank information so that he could send me the money. I called the gallery he was represented by and they said that he had passed away a year ago. I told the artist that I didn't need the money and he could just donate the money to his local animal shelter. That was the last I heard from him...
So many variants of this. Key “tells” are (of course) bad grammar, too good to be true, overpayment with the condition that the artist pays something, and urgency. I generally refer them to my gallery and that’s the end. I don’t engage because in the AI era your “voice” (even written) can be stolen. It’s terrible that scammers prey on artists at all, since so many people have so much more money, but I suppose we are low hanging fruit in their minds.
Everytime I post a painting on FB professional page (rarely my personal page), I get request “is it for sale?”
“How
Much is it”
Must be the extent of their use of English and they usually a weird name
And I block and delete.
I just now got three bogus requests.
As an artist who provides support from sales and who helps support three people, and at a time (because of the election (?) sales are slowed, this is such a drag.
I almost got conned your way a few years ago and told them they had to mail me a check or use pay pal.
The woman kept arguing with me and wanted my banking info.
Eventually she got hostile that I wouldn’t play along with her so I blocked her too.
Turns out the transaction I briefly described this week was indeed a scam. I'll give you the details soon.
Some years ago I had a similar experience with being sent a check (stolen) for more than the asked price, played along enough to contact the bank, learn who all the players were and send it all to the FBI and they never responded.
My best sales happen with real people in my studio. It helps that I’ve lived in the same location for 54 years.
I have a good one...An "artist" wanted to use a photo of mine for a painting. He offered me money for the use of the image. I went with it for a while. I was then asked for my bank information so that he could send me the money. I called the gallery he was represented by and they said that he had passed away a year ago. I told the artist that I didn't need the money and he could just donate the money to his local animal shelter. That was the last I heard from him...
Nifty trick: operating beyond the grave....
I have received many of these emails, I have never responded, seemed really obvious they are scams.
So many variants of this. Key “tells” are (of course) bad grammar, too good to be true, overpayment with the condition that the artist pays something, and urgency. I generally refer them to my gallery and that’s the end. I don’t engage because in the AI era your “voice” (even written) can be stolen. It’s terrible that scammers prey on artists at all, since so many people have so much more money, but I suppose we are low hanging fruit in their minds.
Don’t even get me started on NFTs.
I never sell my work over the internet
Everytime I post a painting on FB professional page (rarely my personal page), I get request “is it for sale?”
“How
Much is it”
Must be the extent of their use of English and they usually a weird name
And I block and delete.
I just now got three bogus requests.
As an artist who provides support from sales and who helps support three people, and at a time (because of the election (?) sales are slowed, this is such a drag.
I almost got conned your way a few years ago and told them they had to mail me a check or use pay pal.
The woman kept arguing with me and wanted my banking info.
Eventually she got hostile that I wouldn’t play along with her so I blocked her too.