Scam Information

Many thanks to Boundless Gallery for this link and information!!
For those that use the Google tip: here is the email: kellybeatifullll@yahoo.co.uk

Scams Targeting Artists

We have noticed a rise in the number of scams targeting artists recently so here are some common themes of these scams. 1) The customer never wants to buy your work through the website where it was found. 2) The customer is almost always moving to a different country. 3) The customer almost always insists on paying by check. 4) The customer will have his or her own company handling the shipping. 5) There will be an overpayment, whether the check was accidentally made out for too much or the customer asks you to forward the additional money to the shipping company. 6) The order is always urgent. If you receive a message that seems a little odd Google can be your best friend. Type in the name of the sender or his or her email address and do a quick search. If it is a scam someone has probably posted the name, email and probably the message text as a warning for other artists. These scams usually play out like this. The customer will contact you directly and ask for the price of your work without shipping. If the work is found on a site like ours this should seem a little odd because we list the price of the artwork and the shipping cost separately. The customer will mail you a check for the cost of the artwork plus a few hundred dollars extra either as an “accident” or to pay the shipping company to take the artwork. This is usually when you find out how urgent the order is and how the shipping company is waiting for this money. If you go along with the scam from here the check will arrive and you could probably deposit it at your bank then send out the extra money from your account. Because the check is printed from an international bank (most likely on a stolen check or bad account) it will take some time to bounce and this is what the scammer is counting on. You would be held responsible for the money you sent and the full amount of the bounced check would be removed from your account. Update 8/17/07 Here is the text of the current scam email: Subject: ARTWORK Hope this message finds you well ,I came across your web page while searching for good artworks and I will like to buy some of these creative artworks directly from you which i think will be great for my walls [Piece Title] [Piece Title] [Piece Title] [Piece Title] I will be happy to have these selected artworks in our new home.What are their prices exclusive of shipping cost? We are travelling from our Alabama home to our new apartment in London, I will appreciate an earlier reply. Thanks. Best Regards and the follow-up email: Subject: Re: ARTWORK Thanks so much for your response to my query about those creatives works. I am presently away in London for my twin sister's wedding even though it comes at a time when i was preparing for a big move and also expecting a baby but it means so much to her. I should back in some few days. Yes,i will like to proceed with the purchase of the all the present avalible artworks. I think they are lovely works that will add alot of colours to our new wall. Meanwhile,i will like you to forward your mailing address and phone number so i can inform my husband to send you payment by a cashier check asap for the payment for those creative artworks. And also I can also forward your contact info to the local cartage company that will be moving all our house decors so they can get in touch with you to arrange shipping details. They can arrange pick up FedEx pick up of the artworks from your gallery. I will look forward to hearing from you so i can know how best to proceed. Cheers. Best Re gards

Long time passing...

My summer children are gone. Back to the hallways and lines in the schools of Texas. This year it all went too fast. We got to do lots of things and go a lot of places.
Now I can maybe get back into a routine and (fun) artwork again. Plenty to do all summer with advertising art and helping the kids with their horses.
Diamond Reo was found to have an ethmoid hematoma, yeh, I know, I didn't know what it was either. He is on the rapid mend now from a very rare affliction and you will be able to read about it along with my illustrations in an upcoming issue of EQUUS this fall.
On her 86th birthday, my mom tripped and fell. Nothing broken, but she wrecked her muscles in her right leg. My sister convinced her it was time to move into an apartment in town (past time, actually) and she will be moving in September to Knoxville. Mom has been staying with me until she can get into the apartment. She is getting around better everyday and is actually enjoying the cat - she "hates" cats - so I am hoping this new affection is not a sign of her mental facilities decreasing.
A local art show coming up this weekend and I am trying to get enough things together for a booth.
A heads up for all you equine artists that list on the web: I was contacted last week by a couple that wanted to purchase five paintings. They gave an address in England. I received a cashiers check today - for far more than the amount of the paintings and shipping- and thinking it was fishy, took the check to the bank to have it looked at. About 30 minutes of sleuthing later, they came back with the information that it was indeed a phony check. The couple was using the names Kelly and Frank George and claiming to live in London and Alabama but the check was from a bank in Maine. Hey, they had good taste at least.