I received the following e-mail this morning which is a request for information (with the promise of a BIG credit card.

Dear Partner,
Kindly contact my personal assistant for your approved ATM VISA CARD which I kept under his custody to send to you ,due to your efforts during our pass transaction, forward your contact information, to enable him send you your ATM VISA CARD worthy of $3.4m usd.
NAME.......................DAVID BROWN
EMAIL..........................david_brown00@sify.com
TEL........................234-8022723143

I received the following email this morning - supposedly a request for "friendship" but I think it is a request for my email address to be used for a scam. English is not this person's first language. One of the places I sell online is ArtWanted who will allow someone to contact me without providing my actual email address. Is it just my imagination, or do a lot of scams seem to be coming from: "name"/"number"/yahoo.com?

This message was sent by monica william (monica.william21@yahoo.com) via ArtWanted.com:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nan,

Unfortunately, I did not keep the original email but I was struck by the fact that Frank Carter, the buyer did not reference what he wanted to buy  from me, merely that he was interested in purchasing something. Of course, as soon as I replied to his email, he no doubt looked at my signature with my website. I was a bit sceptical but at the same time, I did not want to blow him off in case he was a legitimate buyer. Polite up to the last email, I did push the envelope a bit with my last response and sure enough, I have never heard from him again!  GT

I received this February 15th, 2008

I saw that many people have been targeted as the vulnerable artists they/ we are for online scams. I had never experienced this, until out of the blue 'Susan Cutter' from London/ Alabama contacted me about 'creative artworks' on the Artists Space website. I've had the same 'creative artworks' on the Artists Space website for years and have not gotten much response, so I was rather surprised!

MARCH 2007

A number of artists in Saskatchewan have received a message offering to buy works displayed on their internet sites. The message comes from a person who identifies themselves as Kathleen Cole.

The message appears to be a SCAM and we caution artists NOT to take part.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the message:

Hello,
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 out of your stock.

Another scammer operating under the name of Sam Luman!
His method is very similar to the one described in the post about the latest shipping scam:
* he is in a hurry to close the deal
* he will send money by cheque or transfer
* the amount is fabulous! 3 times the requested price
* he wants your details for his shipper
* shipping to Canada in this case
* you have to refund the excess money by Western Union
etc

BEWARE of him!!

This is the original email that I received from moris.andre@yahoo.com. Looking back, I should have been suspicious, but I wasn't very busy at the time and I have had several orders from customers in other countries whose command of the english language is a little unusual. So I sent my standard price list.

June 5th, 2006:
A friend of mine introduce me to you and i was given your email address to talk to you i am interested in purchasing some indoor sculpture and garden sculpture for my resident.

I will appreciate it if you can send to me a website with the images of your work so that i can feel the kind of feeling my friend felt when he saw your work. Have a nice day Moris

July 20th 2006
Hello Rick
thanks for the mail and your response,i really appreciate you getting back to me with the prices,i have what i want from you okay......here are the one's i need asap.

Chaos $xxx
Quiver $xxx
Aquilla $xxx

i will need the final prices including shipping cost and i will need you to get back to me with your full information to which payment will be sent and issued to,so that i can immediately instruct my associate to make the paymet out to you asap....

best regards....

July 21st 2006, my response:

Hi Moris,
Thanks! I will give you the information, can you first
tell me where I will be shipping them?

July 21st, 2006
Hi Rick,
Thanks for the mail. Shipping to the UK

July 21st, 2006 I send a total price for the mobiles he is interested in and shipping costs to the UK. I receive this response:

Rick
thanks for the mail and your information about the Quiver and Aquilla.anyway payment will be inform of money order which i will immediately instruct my associate to send the payment to you asap....all is ok by me i will provide with the information of where to ship to as soon as payment is in your hand.

thanks once again for your understanding act,

best regards.....

Moris.

At this point I am hooked. I consider this to be a legitimate order and begin constructing the mobiles that he has ordered. My policy at the time was to complete the work and then ask for payment before I was ready to ship.

On July 30th I notified the buyer that the mobiles were complete and gave him info on where to send payment. I did not get a response until I sent a second email a week later:

August 6th, 2006
Rick

thanks for the mail,sorry for the delay in payment but it will soon get to you ok i will let you the update asap.

August 13th, 2006. I receive this email, now I'm getting a bit worried:

Rick,
Sorry for getting back to you this late, my computer went crashed and i just restore it back now.Am verry sure that the payment will get to you by coming Friday or weekend. i promise to keep you posted on eacvh development asap. Have A Great Day.......

This is followed up by a second email:

Rick,
The payment is inform of money order....
do get back to me as soon as you get it,you will get it by friday this week.
thanks.

August 15th. I have not yet received payment, but I get this email. Now I suspect that something is fishy:

Rick
i will like you to take the payment to your bank and deposit it as soon as you get the money order ok.

August 21st.
I finally receive his letter of payment, which surprisingly had stamps and a postmark from the Republique Du Benin (found out later that this is a small country in West Africa). I'm getting more suspicious. I open the letter and there are FOUR money orders in there totaling over $3,000.00. Three times the payment I expected!!! What the heck? And not only that, the M.O. payee reciepts are still attached and the payee is shown as someone in Massachusetts. So why were they postmarked from Republique Du Benin? There's no return address on the envelope and no shipping address for the mobiles is included in the letter. The money orders look VERY real. The dollar amount is machine embossed into the paper just like every one I have seen in the past. The colors look right.The paper feels right. The serial numbers look right. The perforations look right. I can't see any watermark but the security thread is there so I figure that I might be looking in the wrong spot for the watermark.

I really had a funny feeling about the whole thing, so I took the MO's to my bank the next day and they confirmed that they were counterfeit (called in and checked the serial numbers) and said that they would turn them in. They said that they looked very good except for the missing watermark and the fact that the security thread did not have
any info printed on it. They said there has been a lot of this lately.

When I returned home to check my email and respond back to the buyer about the counterfeit Money Orders, I found this message from my little buddy:

Rick,
thanks for the mail and your response,i got a confirmation that there was overpayment on the payment sent to you,i will really appreciate if you can go ahead and have the money order's cashed and deduct your own part of the funds and send the balance to my associate today asap to avoid further delay...ok.

i should have let you know earlier than now,i was too busy and how is marble?

Here is my associate information to which you will send the balance to via western union money transfer.

BENSON RICKY
4 Limes Court,
23 Brondesbury Park,
London, NW6 7BS

i will also need these following information from you after you must have sent the funds to my associate...

SENDER'S NAME AND ADDRESS
TEST QUESTION (WHAT YEAR)
TEST ANSWER (2006)
CONTROL NUMBER (MTCN)
AND AMOUNT SENT SENT LESS WESTERN UNION CHARGES......

and for the shipping of the marble i will get back to you,besides i thought have given you before but i will confirm again and get back to you ok....but i will really appreciate if go send the differences on the payment sent to you asap ok and deduct your part of the funds too....i will be counting on you to do this asap today.

thanks once again for nyour understanding act.

Best Regards....
Moris.

n/b my associate sent you 4 (money order's) please do confirm this and get back to me asap.

August 21st.
So now the scam is obvious. It is a good thing that the bank clerk was able to verify that the Money Orders were bogus, otherwise I may have fallen for this. From this experience I have learned to require a downpayment in advance of starting work so that I can be sure that the order is legitimate. In the end, I was able to resell these mobiles to another buyer, but a problem developed with that client too! Check my forthcoming posting regarding Albert Von Allen at the Organ Matching Center.

On 03/01/2006 8:15 AM, Julius Mcbride (just2julius@yahoo.com) wrote:

HELLO
I saw your works in sculpture.org. i will want to know if you have some works of yours for sale at the moment cos you have some beautiful works on display.hope to hear from you soon
Regards
Julius Mcbride

On 03/01/2006 5:00 PM, I wrote:

Hi, Julius.

I'm glad you like the work. You can find all of my sculptures at http://www.transientwaters.net/gallery/ sorted by year; the available sculptures are further sorted at http://www.transientwaters.net/gallery/available

Thanks.

Julianna
http://www.transientwaters.net/

On 06/01/2006 5:32 PM, Julius Mcbride (just2julius@yahoo.com) wrote:

Hello Julianna,

i was able wo get through to your website and i lovved these ones i listed below:

1: Title: Goddess Year: 2002 (mounted in 2004) Medium: Soapstone Availability: Available Size: Height - 4.75
Title:Goddess
Year: 2002 (mounted in 2004)
Medium: Soapstone
Availability: Available

Size:
Height - 4.75"
Length - 9.5"
Width - 6.75"

2: Title: Tear Year: 2004 Medium: Soapstone Availability: Available Size: Height - 12
Title: Tear
Year: 2004
Medium: Soapstone
Availability: Available

Size:
Height - 12"
Length - 11"
Width - 5.5"

3: Title: 200lb Year: 2004 Medium: Soapstone Availability: Available Size: Height - 10.5
Title: Angular
Year: 2004
Medium: Soapstone
Availability: Available

Size:
Height - 7 3/4"
Length - 9"
Width - 7 3/4 "

Title: 200lb
Year: 2004
Medium: Soapstone
Availability: Available

Size:
Height - 10.5"
Length - 24"
Width - 16"

Please i want you to let me know your last asking price.

Julius

On 07/01/2006 11:46 AM, I wrote:

Hi, Julius.

I apologize for the delayed response; it has been a busy couple of days. Below are the asking prices for the sculptures which interested you. These prices are in Canadian dollars, and do not include shipping or taxes (if applicable).

1:
Title:Goddess
Price: $xxx

2: Title: Tear
Price: $xxx

3: Title: Angular
Price: $xxx

4:
Title: 200lb
Price: $x,xxx

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you for your interest.

Julianna
http://www.transientwaters.net

On 09/01/2006 12:47 PM, Julius Mcbride (just2julius@yahoo.com) wrote:

Dear Julianna
i am pleased to purchase this piece 4:Title: "200lb" Price: $x,xxx CAD
The sculpture is a gift for a friend of mine in U.K and as of the transporting of the sculpture pick up will be done and payment will be given to them at the point of pick-up the shipping company is an air frieght company they will be picking up the sculpture and make a special delivery to my friend. I will be adding an extra $3500 CAD for pick-up of the sculpture which will be paid to the shipper at the point of pick-up.I will be needing your contact address and telephone number to issue payment to you.
Regards,
Julius
Happy new year

That email was the one which confirmed for me that he was trying to pull the Shipping Scam on me. I don't think there are any serious art buyers who would purchase a sculpture of a relatively unknown emerging artist after only seeing it online and pay more than twice the cost of the sculpture to have it shipped.

On 10/01/2006 6:21 AM, I wrote:

Hi, Julius.

That's an excellent choice---I hope your friend will agree too!

$3,500 is an exorbitant amount for freight. Might I suggest that you switch to FedEx? They are merely charging approx $1,600 for shipping to London.

Also, due to the nature and amount of our transaction, I will only be able to accept a certified cheque---I trust that this won't be a problem. For your security (and peace of mind!), I would like to suggest that you ask for the bank to return the cheque to you after I have deposited it.

When do you expect the sculpture to be delivered to your friend? I will draft an agreement with the details before we "seal the deal". The address and phone number will be included in the agreement.

Thanks.

Julianna

I lost him after that. I guess he realized that I knew what real shipping costs.