E-mail scam alert from Edna Piersol Windes

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THE ART SCAMS ARE REARING THEIR UGLY HEADS AGAIN !! BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plus a letter about scams from Mikki Dillon at the end

Several of our members have experienced one where a buyer from another country or the USA claims to want to purchase your art and offers to send a cashiers check. This may be a bona fide offer, so test it but, NEVER, NEVER just accept even the most legal looking cashiers check without taking it to your bank and verifying that it is indeed not a forgery and legally covered with funds. Never go to any expense for your art work for anyone you don't know. In the scam above bogus buyers have tried to dupe our members into accepting a check that is for much more than the artist requested and then asking the artist to give the overage amount in one of the artist's own checks to the customers shipper.

This could be money laundering, a Federal offense if you participate in any way, or it could be plain fraud where you will lose whatever money you put up. In any case you will be in a very bad position and may lose a lot. Since I run our web page I feel I need warn all of you to be aware of all the bad stuff out there. So be careful, especially beware of people wanting to use their own shippers. There is a big mean world out there open to the internet. The internet can be your friend or enemy but I have a lot of success with the friendly part. I and other SW members have gotten several of the art order scams. Below is an example of my replies to unknown prospective buyer e-mails.

This is the reply I always send. (The last one came from Malta).

"Yes, if this is a bona-fide order I will ship to Malta by UPS.  I will accept USPS money orders or cashiers checks for the EXACT amount of US $ I specify. My web site is updated and you can let me know what pieces you want.  Then you must send me a legal cashiers check or money order for the EXACT amount I specify with no third parties involved.  If the amount is not exact, the check will be turned in to the proper authorities.  I am sorry to be so specific but there are a lot of scams out there and I have had many requests for work that required methods of shipping and payment, which were frauds. If you are truly interested in ordering work, send me an order by e-mail and I will send you an e-mail telling you exactly how many US dollars needed for payment.  After you send me the cashiers check and it has cleared my bank, which may take a month or more, I will ship the work.  Shipping and insurance charges are your responsibility and will be added to your amount of US dollars required when I notify you of the amount for your cashiers check or USPS Money order.  Hoping to hear that you are sincere in wanting my work and  accept my specifications."

Amore simple reply: another SW member has told me his reply is to ask for an address to send a brochure and price list, and he says he doesn't hear any more from the scammer.

From Edna to members: This does not imply any guarantee from me that my reply will make any of us completely safe. By all means be sure any payment you ever receive clears your bank and even talk to your bank about it before you become further involved.

Edna Wagner Piersol (Windes)

More about scams from Mikki Dillon

Hi Edna,

I'm Mikki Root Dillon, also a member, and have been asked by many of the
Southeastern Pastel Society members about these same schemes, some with a
twist or two. I had to write to tell you that you need to include more
caveats. If you take one of those "certified" checks to the bank, 9 times
out of 10 they will say they are legitimate, they are that good. However, it
takes several weeks for them to be returned and you can be charged with
fraud for passing one, even it the bank teller said it looked OK. Thus you
have lost your paintings, lost the excess money you sent back, lost the
shipping fees AND opened yourself to serious legal problems. My simple
solution is to simply apply the "DELETE" button to any such email...that
way, nothing lost and no damage done. There are massive numbers of schemes
out there; why they chose to pick on artists shows their greed. We sure
can't afford to lose any of the above assets, neither money, paintings or
reputation! Thanks for listening to me blow off steam...I get so furious
when our folks come so near falling for these schemes, just because we are
so desperate for sales.
Thanks for all you do! Mikki

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