Numerous Scam Alerts

[Nanette Breer]

Received this just today. Beware! I have received quite a few of these scams referring to just about all of my sites on the web.
Nan
Are you aware of this scam going on. This is the second one in the past 2 months. I am assuming this is a scam cause they always say they will pick up, from the UK to USA?> Nanette> Hello,It is my great pleasure to contact you regarding Mount Saint Helens - Digital Photography - 9.6x7.6 - $25.00 placed for sale at http://www.artistsites.orgPlease, i would like to make a purchase as i\\\'m really interested in it. Let me know if it still available for sale and it\\\'s presentcondition, and let me know the last price Be\\\'cos am buying it for my family as gift ,as for the Shipping i will take careof that through a pick up .Thank you and i look forward to your reply.Dillon >

[Carson Collins]

Sounds like a variant of the classic Overpayment Scam. One of the dubious advantages of having my web site, TheOceanSeries.com, on page one at Google for most of the relevant search terms is that I get at least one of these every week.

The key element in this ploy is that the scammer isn't interested in stealing your artwork, they are just trying to manipulate you into cashing a counterfeit check or Money Order.

Cardinal signs of the scam are:
1. They refuse to use PayPal, then send you a Cashier's Check or M.O. for an amount substantially more than the price of whatever they are "purchasing" from you, asking you to refund the difference.
2. They don't want the item sent by USPS, UPS, or FedEx; someone in their employ is going to "pass by your studio and pick it up".
3. There's always some kind of hurry-up. "It's for my wife's birthday" is a common one, for example.
4. The C.C. or M.O. they send will be counterfeit, but it will be a good enough counterfeit to fool the teller at your local bank. The funds will be credited to your account. Of course, it won't fool the issuer (AmEx, for example) because of the serial number. Typically, this takes 4 to 6 weeks; the funds will then disappear from your account, and you will be debited a fee for processing the bad paper.

How to avoid this:
1. Get a PayPal account. It's free to set up (and very easy). They do charge a percentage on transactions, but it's well worth it for the security and ease of payment that they provide. By the way, PayPal is now a subsidiary of eBay, and, no, I don't work for them.
2. If the buyer insists on paying by check or M.O., politely but firmly tell them that: A. NO OVERPAYMENT WILL BE REFUNDED and, B. The item will not be shipped for at least 5 weeks, in order for their paper to have time to clear.

[DrayeArt]

Or, you can just learn to recognize the key words of the scam artists- "money order", "my delivery company", "missionary in Uganda" and all the other over-elaborate tugs at your heart strings, and hit the report as spam button in your email service. Saves time.

[Paul Freidin]

I got the same scam on another site (Yessy.com). Someone from the UK wanted to buy one of my paintings. The person said her PA had mistakenly sent me a $4000 check and would I take $600 for the painting and send send her back $3400 change. after the check cleared. I emailed her and told her this is a scam. The check never arrived. What happens is your bank will clear the check and later find out it is no good, and you are liable for damages and possibly jail.

[Jon HARRY]

Yes had two scams over the past six months. One from a 'so called' doctor and I was asked to do business with his secretary and the paintings (wanted four in all) were for his recently bought house in London. Replied I was ex CID and heard no more! A recent one I passed to Gallery Admin

[Spincus]

Another clue to these scams is they say please do not try to contact me [here the site you are on]. Please contact me via [e-mail] Where the email account is not part of the service they have contacted you on.

What happens is the moderators of the sites shut down these account pretty fast. So they have to direct you off the site to be able to keep up the scam.

[DrayeArt]

Another thing to remember, under no circumstance, do you open any attachments they send, or venture to any addresses they mail you. They try to unload viruses on you that way.