Scams And Phishing

Happened to me yesterday. thank for spreading the word.

great post, thanks Abbie

if in doubt, always ask in the forum before answering a weird request or search the discussions

also helps to search the net with the wording they use, this is how I figured fast that someone offering me a paid job is trying to scam me (they offer photographer jobs, painter jobs, other art related jobs)

Thank You
These two scammers emailed me for NFTs via Fine Art America.
If you get an email from them just block.

Alavez Jaden

Tyson Richard

What about Zellie? Disregard,,,google warns against it!

Scams, Scams everywhere! I just recently got an email with just about what you have stated. They want to offer you $$$ and want several pieces and they ask are these prints are still available. NFT's get these all the time on Facebook in private groups too.

Please don't fall prey to these scammers.
Lana

This seems to be a repeated question about whether it is a good idea to deal with these requests yet a reading of Abbie's Post clearly answers the question.

"Artwork to purchase... This always makes me laugh. This is a sales site. Your work is there fully priced. Ready to purchase!!! They do not contact you."

The reason I'm asking this question is that I did do my research and read about premium accounts, and I quote:

"Your Premium Website

To help you sell online, you've now got your own website!

https://susan-spitz.pixels.com

This is the most powerful print-on-demand website you'll find anywhere online."

I received an email with this wording...
"Subject:
APPEAL TO BUY YOUR ARTWORKS

Message:
I would love to purchase your artworks, its unique appearance and your creativity behind them is really captivating. I’d love to know if they are available for sales because I’d love to add them to my collection"
Would this be a scam or something allowable on FAA?
I am confused about the wording of the Premium membership and must not be reading it correctly.

@Sussn - Yes, that is a scam. I received an email with almost the exact working a few days ago.

@ Bill Swartwout Thanks, Bill, I thought it might be a scam. I appreciate your help.

Yes, just had an "offer" from Alexander Estes, who wanted to buy 4 of my artworks for $2800/each - explained NFTs would be used. I was suspicious. Glad this info is on the forum!

I have had two such scams in the past week. I answer that my work is available on Fine Art America.

@Donna and Suzy, I'm so glad we have this forum also. It's a shame so many are out there trying to scam us. I will reply that he may purchase my work on Fine Art America if he's interested. Thanks and happy creating!!!

Thank you Abbie. Thank you everyone :)

I think from the response to this subject matter, "Scammers," it is evident (DO NOT) engage with any of them, as you will be deceived and ripped off!
I don't understand why FAA does not vet these emails and just block them totally.

I received a request this week by a Mr. Austin. Wanted to purchase several items. Okay, please do. LOL

Hi!! I just got this....
I replied that all my purchases are through Fine Art America.

fineartamerica.com
From:
donotreply- at - fineartamerica.com
To:
lyndasprowl@aol.com

Fri, May 10 at 9:48 AM

From:
Angelica Grullon
angelicagrullon994@gmail.com

Subject:
ARTWORK PURCHASE REQUEST

Message:
Hey there!
I just wanted to say that your artwork is seriously amazing! I love how you've managed to bring your ideas to life in such a creative and skilled way.
I'm interested in buying a few of your artworks for my exhibition, about 5-10 artworks, but I'm only interested in buying them as NFTS.
Could you let me know what's available and how I can make it happen?
New Message from this person
Angelica Grullon

From:
angelicagrullon994@gmail.com
To:
lyndasprowl@aol.com

Do you accept zelle payments then

Thanks for all this important information, Abby. They just said they liked my work and wanted to purchase some images from me. I didn't answer them but plan to tell them to go through FAA for their purchase. They didn't mention "how" they wanted to pay, it didn't get that far. Well, I'm glad I posted so now when this happens in the future, I will know what to say.

NEVER reply to these spammers, by sending you mail here they don't have your email but as soon as you reply they get your email to be used for more spamming and scamming

I had so many offers for NFT´S that i will be a millionaire by this moment... never liked them and never trust them.
Why so many scammers around the world ?
It's very sad

This happened to me this week. I have yet to have my first sale on FAA and I only have 24 followers. I think scammers go after artists/sellers like me, with few followers and not much exposure (although I am working on it). They probably assumed that artists with fewer followers are desperate and therefore easy targets. It's totally unfair. I mean, I am also on Behance and I get the same scams.

.Valerie, just ignore and delete them, keep active on the site, promote your work off site on Social Media, persevere and in time the sales will come.

Thanks a lot. I just got an email from someone wanting my artwork for NFT. Definitely scam. I needed confirmation and you just gave it to me. Thanks again. Donna Anglesano

I have been involved in this process and artists who don’t understand the process are being approached by platforms, not people. They say they love your artwork but give vague information and guild you toward the platform of their involvement. Then you find out there are costs involved in this process and indeed other issues which are pollutants and have energy issues. There is rarely cash involved and your art will be sold over and over again and YOU receive a small commission. You don’t have control after that. You can blockchain copyright your work on other sites, but frankly this is a scam to get you to invest the $150 or more per piece of artwork. I have found there really isn’t anything better than selling your work directly or through a gallery. This intangible for of art, feels as valid at trading with pebbles. Don’t get scammed


The other scam is SEO optimization on your website. They prey on artists who aren’t very tech savvy .

I've received a couple of emails.

Thanks for posting this @Abbie Shores and fellow artists for sharing your experiences. Art or an artist should never been scammed - thanks for the awareness!

Hi I unfortunately feel for the scam . I didn’t read this first. I have a detective working on my case right now. If anyone has any information they can share with me I would appreciate it. Any names they are using for prime art.org. I want to bring this guy Down So now one else falls for this. Thank you
Barbara Authier

Fake Toll Collection - Just a bit off topic - these scammers are everywhere

https://www.aol.com/news/scammers-now-sending-fake-toll-152837377.html

find them and eliminate them !!
where is seal team 6 !!!

scammers are scummers.

..

I had the western union email, for Penmon Lighthouse.

Thank you for posting was receiving unsolicited offers like this I never responded to them

The theme of your post was so eye-opening for any who seeking for more online security and online contents. thank you...

Yeah I get a lot of these kinds of messages especially on Instagram 😔 it really is disheartening...and makes you wonder are there actually any real people out there on the internet? or is everybody just a bot & a scammer trying to take your money ? it really does suck because as artists we actually work very hard and are trying to give something back to the world. only to be met with disingenuous selfish and predatory people. It really can put you in a black hole emotionally which can really diminish that creative Spark that we as artists really need.

Yes, I received an inquiry via FB Page business Messenger: "Well we are going to be buying your original artworks, but the collectors I work with are elite art collectors who are investing in purchasing artwork that has been showcased on the Google Gallery due to its reputation. This is the reason we are paying up to $30,000 for your artworks. If you can upload the pictures of the artworks on the gallery, the gallery will make the artworks available for the collectors to buy from inside the gallery. This process gives the collectors confidence that they are purchasing from a popular and well-known gallery created by Google."

"After you have received the payment for the artworks from the gallery, we can discuss the shipping details. This includes arranging the delivery of the original artworks to the locations chosen by the collectors."

Here's the website:
https://artsandculture.google.com/pocketgallery/IQUxrMnvNro2DQ?hl=en&fbclid=IwY2xjawIPonJleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXlgsEPq-or7vNFP85YqC9k05L1faRFtkNgRsP9dv7BbSMNRMvW8bOlqyg_aem_cuqL_6CAPRVFl6LCJAdfig

Hello to all members,

I am new to this community, and this is my first post here. I would like to share some of my experiences regarding phishing, which often affects large communities like this one, especially when financial transactions are involved.

Since then, I have been very cautious about sharing any information that could lead an attacker to my personal data. I hope that I won't encounter any unpleasant situations here and that my previous negative experience was simply the result of my own carelessness and lack of education about online fraud.

Once again, I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to become a part of this community and to share experiences with esteemed artists.

Best regards!

tru

Thanks for reminding us all that those guys are out there and they are not legitimate or real art lovers.

yeah sure !

Hi. I am new this site. And, I just got an email form some man with last name Bennett. He says he has a digital project coming up and wants to purchase several pieces from my profile. But, I have to wonder why his email came directly to my email? I thought we got messages or emails from visitors here on the site? So, Do we get emails here on the site from our visitors as well as other artist here on the site? Or do visitors emails always come to our personal email address? I am almost positive this is a scam. But, I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

1) Yes, it’s a scam.

2) FAA forwards emails to your main email address from people trying to contact you.
Some artists who create original handmade work choose to sell through FAA and this allows potential buyers to get in touch with them. Unfortunately, it also allows scammers and spammers to send you emails as well.

Your email address is hidden from them unless you reply to them.

if you hit reply and send a response, they will have your email address

only follow...

Any one received one of these ? It seems like an upgrade on the standard NFT scam. But just to remove any remaining doubt has anyone heard of the organisations mentioned ? (excluding the Getty Center). See below..

"I'm excited to tell you about a new project called CryptoCraft, based in Los Angeles, California, USA, and hosted at the prestigious Getty Center. This initiative explores the theme, “The Intersection of Art and Technology,” examining how innovation influences modern artistic practices.

While the event dates remain confidential until final preparations are complete, I’ll ensure you receive an early update to stay informed.

The main goal of CryptoCraft is to highlight professional artists who embrace NFT art, connecting them with a global audience. Beyond purchasing your artwork, we aim to boost your recognition in the NFT space and introduce you to a network of collectors, investors, and art enthusiasts.

Our team, supported by sponsors like A16z Crypto and Meta4 Capital, is committed to acquiring and promoting selected pieces.
Mintallica.com is the virtual gallery that will be used for the project."

Hi. I just recently joined FAA. I was with another POD site and had the same issues with scammers and phishing, etc.. Some of what was posted here is almost identical to what I experienced on the previous site I was with. I never responded to any of them:)

just join...

Hi,
I just received this email from someone who viewed my artwork on FAA.
I'm assuming it's a scam but would appreciate knowing if anyone else has received something similar.
Best,
Ruth


"Charles CharlesFerdinand
charlescharlesferdinand@gmail.com

Attachments 6:39 PM (7 minutes ago)

to me
These are my top picks at the moment. Your artworks have truly resonated with me, and I am excited to feature them in my upcoming art exhibition as NFTs. I believe that your unique style and creative vision will captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression. For this reason I am willing to offer a competitive price of up to 4 ETH each for the selected pieces. I would be delighted to discuss the details of our collaboration, Please consider my proposal, and let's work together to showcase your exceptional artistry."

Yes, Ruth, I had something almost identical to this. Total scam.

Thanks Lisa!

Thank you very much for this post. Just received an email with pretty much what you said in your post from benjaminlogan0062@gmail.com... I'm happy to have check here first and see I did the right thing by not replying to him. Thank you again!

Ciao,
com'è possibile che su facebook ricevo decine e decine di messaggi che sono interessati alle mie opere e sono tutti truffatori? Una persona seria non si trova. È assurdo!

Valentina, Facebook è ben noto per i truffatori e la piattaforma non fa nulla e infatti incoraggia i truffatori sulla loro piattaforma. Dobbiamo stare attenti ovunque. E se pensi che Facebook e questa piattaforma siano cattivi, allora non vuoi andare su X.

Grazie Feliciano,
sono scioccata da quante persone disoneste ci siano, mi dicono di mandargli richieste di amicizia o di scrivere su telegram o di inviare le opere che vogliono acquistare da me a loro. Basterebbe venire qui sul sito e acquistare, così come gli rispondo io ma niente. Ne ho dovuti bloccare alcuni perché è un continuo.

Valentina,
Prego. Troppe persone che cercano di guadagnarsi da vivere in modo disonesto alle spalle di persone legittime e oneste. Sono contento che tu sia consapevole di ciò che sta accadendo.