I initially reported this scam on my personal blog and was inundated with emails and phone calls from Texas to Maine. The FBI was completely disinterested when I contacted an agent in from the New Jersey office.
After being contacted by Darrell Bulmer from the Maine Arts Commission, I decided to manage this blog as a clearinghouse of art scam information.
Unfortunately, one Maine artist was scammed and is now out thousands of dollars:
Belfast-based artist Harold Garde was not so lucky. He got the same email from Caroline Lewis, and received a check for $5,000, which he promptly banked. Suspecting nothing, he then wired the money to pay for his art work to be shipped. "The package was not picked up and about two days later the bank notified me that the money orders were bogus," he says. Garde found himself nearly $2,000 out of pocket.
Remember - Never Ever deposit a check if there is anything remotely suspicious, such as an overpayment. This is one of the oldest scams in the book. If there was an honest mistake in a legitimate transaction, the buyer will not have a problem writing you another check for the correct amount.
Thank you Darrell for this important update!
One Maine artist scammed and out thousands - the fact that they live in Maine shows they aren't too bright in the first place!
ReplyDeleteAnd as i said earlier, Darwin in action!