Spam Alert

[Chris Saper]

Me, too. Anything suspicious like that I independently Google the sender, and sure enough, Perez came up as a scam.

[Heidi Maiers]

Yep, got mine too. I'm sure everyone on the main site got a copy.Good to put out the warning Enzie - just in case there is anyone left on the planet that has not seen these and might be fooled by them.

This type of lowlife scam is super easy to spot. I have been getting them daily for years. Here's a few things to look for - two or more of these and it's a definite scam that should just be deleted.

1. They never use or know your name.
2. The sender always has a free email address. Almost always yahoo.com or yahoo.uk.co
3. They want to buy one of your particular pieces, but then ask you to send photos so they can choose one of your pieces. They never mention any details about a specific work of yours.
4. English is never their first language (poor use of grammar)
5. They always mention payment methods - if this early on they mention payment by check, it's always check fraud scam and they usually add that you can cash it right away!
6. If they mention 3rd party shippers, then it's always the check fraud scam where they send overpayment for the shipping and you end up losing the difference.
7. They are always in a hurry

Another popular scam targets people who teach. Same check fraud scam. Usually, they say their "son" is coming for a holiday to "your area" and they want to pay for several weeks of lessons upfront (of course again they have no clue who you are, where you live, or what subject you teach).

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Chris, I googled the name as well and found a warning on Artslant. I just think the best defense for us is in passing along the knowledge as soon as these guys get active.

[Julie Deane]

Good Info, Enzie.

Be aware that your name and a specific art piece can be used.

I occasional receive emails expressing interest in one particular artwork's availability. It's always the same artwork, it's similar wording, and it shows up in the "spam" section of my email.
After wasting my time researching one contact person (fictional addresses and phone numbers) I figure that anyone legit can easily look up my phone number and contact me directly.

I like one artist's approach: he tells potential customers that he will be happy to send them the artwork after the check clears their bank, apologizing but stating that it is necessary because of all these spams and schemes.