Tips for Protecting Yourself from Art Scammers
I’m typing this out after having received my third “I’m looking for an anniversary gift for my wife” message this week. Ugh. Art scams seem to be running rampant as of late. I’m sure we can all agree that there should be a special circle of you know where for those who prey on artists. It’s heartbreaking to hear the stories of artists who have unfortunately been taken advantage of - especially because some of the scams that now exist can seem convincing, even if you’re not new to selling your art online. So, how can you tell if a random inquiry merits your trust? Here are a few tips and strategies I and other artists have used to find out:
1. Read the message carefully.
Using the case of the anniversary gift as an example, it typically starts off innocently enough. A man reaches out explaining that he is interested in buying a work of art as a gift for his wife’s upcoming birthday or for their anniversary. He mentions having a budget between $1,000-$5,000, a price range that constitutes a major sale for many emerging artists and therefore makes it hard not to ignore or want to believe is real! However, upon a closer inspection, you realize that he utilizes phrases that are grammatically incorrect, have multiple misspellings, or simply don’t make sense: “I stormed across your artworks.” Huh? This is your first red flag.
2. Look for specificity.
Scammers will say that they want to purchase your work because they’ve “fallen in love” with your art. However, they almost never cite the individual pieces that they are interested in. They don’t take the time to look through your available works, they simply pull your email from your site or a list and send out as many inquiries to as many artists as possible until someone falls for it. It’s a numbers game, so they don’t have time to include the important details that a collector usually would.
3. Check the payment method.
You’ll often find that art scammers only offer to pay in a method that you do not already offer on your website, such as by check or by credit card over the phone. Most of this stems from them not wanting the payment method recorded, and therefore, easily tracked once you figure out their ruse. A serious collector should always be willing to figure out a payment process with you instead of making you jump through hoops. If you want to know what to ask for when accepting a check as a form of payment that will help you cover your bases, read this quick article that includes a checklist.
4. Compare the email address with the signature.
In the recent emails I’ve gotten, one of the biggest signals that something was off was that the email address would include a name like johnsmith514@gmail.com but then the message would be signed something different, like “Sincerely, Erik Parker” (both of these names were made up and only meant to serve as an example).
Email addresses also tend to be a red flag in the cases of scammers impersonating a company or brand. I’ve received a few emails supposedly from Instagram or Norton, the anti-virus and anti-malware software company, but when I checked the sender’s information, the email address was from a generic gmail account rather than a branded company address.
5. Ask your community.
I try to share the scam emails I receive (mostly on Instagram) in the hopes that the more artists hear about them, the less likely anyone is to fall victim to one. I know many artists do the same. If you have concerns about the legitimacy of an inquiry you’ve received, ask around and see if anyone else has ever gotten a message like yours.
6. Google the email address.
A five-second search may very well lead you to discover that the same sender has attempted to scam multiple artists. There are a number of blogs where artists post the names and addresses of past scammers as well as a description of the type of scam they tried to run.
7. Trust your instincts.
In the early days of running my gallery, PxP Contemporary, I received an email from a “potential client” who expressed interest in purchasing six works by six different artists. Of course, it was exciting at first to think that someone may have so profoundly connected with my curatorial style. But my gut told me to keep my guard up. After a bit of online research, I discovered that the message was an exact initial script of an elaborate shipping scam. Disappointing? A little, but nowhere near as much as I would have been had I lost thousands of dollars and the valuable artwork of my artists. Phew!
While I focused primarily on art-buying scams, be aware that there are also vanity galleries that reach out to artists on the premise of offering exciting exhibition opportunities - that is, if they are willing to pay exorbitant fees and agree to absurd commission structures. But that, perhaps, is an article for another month.
Since I don’t want to leave you on a fearful or sour note, I will end with the assurance that despite these examples and insights, the overwhelming majority of people I’ve met and interacted with in the arts have been nothing short of wonderful.
Warmest regards,
Alicia
