Portrait Artist Forum - New Artist Scam

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http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=pkzpzwqv

This is the first iteration done on actors, now I am getting the same one for portraits:

Quote:

Thank you for your response.

Am sorry for the way i approached you but i wanted to be sure i was in touch with the right person, I gave my secretary the task of sourcing out a capable talent and she provided your details.

My client company is currently undergoing renovations and refurbishing and they seek some art form to complement the changes,
I have been mandated to seek out capable professional talents that can provide portraits of Past American President Jim Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barrack Obama.

The paintings are gift portraits to be framed and hanged on the office wall of the CEO of the client company retaining my services.
If it helps, the primary colors for the office interior is blue and green, furniture black and brown.

Digital painting would be ideal as this medium allows easier email transfer and eliminate cost of shipping, we would require instructions for the printer though to ensure proper final output. Still let me have a quote as requested.
I desire quotes for Digital painting.

Size Medium Cost

11x14 Digital $$$

12x16 Digital $$$

14x18 Digital $$$

18x20 Digital $$$

All Portraits are to have a completely black or suitable background, each president should be rendered in their ceremonial black suit from the waist up, Art details of each portrait should be clean and very clear to the eye. No more oval room desk, i have someone sorted to provide non-traditionally shaped frames so you need not worry about framing.

Each character is to be depicted in a serious business like mood.
More like one about to sign a million dollar deal.

Delivery date is October-November.

I want you to take charge of the project so all your input in this is considered valuable.
You will seek out reference images worthy of this project, we will not provide any reference images as this kills off the element of surprise and lowers expectation because we would already have a picture of the image at the back of our minds, do you get me?

Our budget is not to exceed $250-$300 per portrait. But still that depends on the requested information above.
Is there a website i can visit to see some of your display works, When i see some samples of your works and i like what i see, i will suggest to the client to make an instalmental payment to you and the balance will be made available before delivery.

To this end, the first portrait for official preview is Barrack Obama, invariably what this means is that you are not to start on the other portraits until you have completed the portrait of Obama and after i must have previewed it.

The payment method as requested by the client is by Certified USA Financial Instrument namely Check/Money or Postal Order or by direct deposit into your account.
And i will advise that you do not commit resources until you receive this deposit.
Payment Schedule is as follows:
30% deposit for you to begin work,
I will request the client to make a further 30% available after i preview the first painting of Obama, And the rest 40% will be paid after i preview the Third painting and then you will ship the 3 items to me using the address below.

The Name of the company requesting this project is Tanner Group Investment. I did some work for them months back and i have been on a retainer with them since.
They are an investment firm operating out of the United Arab Emirates,
The invoice should be made out to me using the details below:
Frank Mayfield
1 Whitehall Ct Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS12 5QF, UK
Email: [email protected]
Tel:07733837712

To save time and for expediency sake and also for record purposes, i will require the name and address for the payment to be sent in your anticipated response,

Though you can reach me on the number above between the hours of 12-4pm Mon-Thurs only.
If you get my voicemail more than once, please consider sending me an email requesting for all you need to know to make this work and i will get back to you.
I am open to coordinate this project by email.

I hope all the terms in this email is understood and acceptable.
Let me know what you think and what else is needed to proceed.

Wishing you all the best.

Frank

I replied with a budget triple that requested and much smaller. They said yes....

The scam will apparently be to send a check over the amount and hassle you until you send them money.

I wrote this addendum to my billing:

Quote:

ADDITIONALLY!
I will wait however long it takes for the MONEY ORDER TO CLEAR. If there are any problems with it internationally, or the amount is HIGHER than what we have indicated, if it clears it will be deemed as payment IN FULL PLUS TIP for all services we have discussed. If by some amazing error, your secretary goofs, this will be deemed a gift. If by some OTHER error the order is fraudulent or insufficient to the project, you will be reported to the appropriate authorities....

In order for any forward progress to continue, I will have a cashed check in my hand and you will approve digital pictures.

Anything else will either be reported, prosecuted or .... and thanks in advance, a GIFT!

and moments ago I got this nervy response:

Quote:

Alright Deb, No problem. I have forwarded your details to the client and payment will be sent shortly.
Thanks

Just so you all don't have to go through it.
I will happily update you when the check arrives!

And if it does . . .will you be painting? :sunnysmil Very clever reply, by the way. . . .

H*LL YES! I already thanked him for the tip!

dj*

Hi Debra,

As "senior" citizens now, (my husband anyway) we receive about 5 sob stories per day promising riches beyond our dreams from poor people overseas who have no relatives to pass their money on too. Some can be very creative, we can handle money from a deceased King who's sole survivor can't get her hands on his stolen money, now safely kept in a secret account! Are we supposed to get dumber as we age, or are artists supposed to have a lack of intelligence or logic??

Cash is always good, but this sounds like a crock to me. Love your response!

Jean

This is so funny, because I dropped him a line last week asking for a time line and he said a week. I may have to start threatening action over an implied contract I had! After all, in good faith I started surfing the web on his behalf!

They are dedicated to the ploy.

I have begun not just marking as trash or scam, but when one of these offers comes in, I mark in my outlook program to DELETE IT FROM THE SERVER before it gets to me... like they would try twice from the same email. Ah well.
dj*

The ones we get are already quarantined by the server. We can open them without actually getting them into e-mail. I would prefer not getting another one, but my husband thinks they are a riot! He can have a laughing fit for 15 minutes after reading a new version! So if it makes him happy, who am I to complain! I'd like to see you try to hold them to a contract, but figure it would just waste your precious painting time. Keep the brush in your hand and stop surfing until the cash (and I mean "CASH") is in your hand. Sorry to yell there!

Jean

They are getting more sophisticated. Usually improper grammar is a giveaway, but they communicated in a much more sophisticated way than most. Another usual clue is that the obviously have no idea that the artists on this site do portrait commissions. Again, they are getting more clever. However, the UK address is usual and very often it's from a yahoo email address.

I did actually sell a painting to Dubai once! I was not so informed about the scams at the time, so happily it was legit.

No update on the check yet!

I agree, Cynthia. The back and forth I did with my Thai client worked out great! He even paid the extra Paypal charges for a secure payment. But this is nothing like that. The impression of talking to a brick wall is what did it.

I wonder if I should send him a letter from a lawyer to say he needs to start sending the money pretty soon? HA!

dj*

Whoaaa, here's a new one, using the name of a well known and respected artist! Will they never stop? Kirk Richards sent out to his mailing list that this was a scam:

Hello,

I am in a hurry writing you this mail. I traveled to UK wales for an urgent function and i got mugged at a gun point. It was a terrible experience. All cash and credit cards were stolen away from me. I reported to the police they asked me to wait for 2 weeks to carry out investigations. I am totally freaked out here.
Right now, my return flight leaves 24hours from now. I am only telling you this because i do not want you to panic at all. just keep it the way have told you till i return back home.
I am seriously having problems in settling my hotel bills which i have to clear before i can leave the hotel to avoid further embarrassment and to get a taxi down to the airport. Just wondering if you could loan me 1,800Pounds to settle my bills and to get a taxi down to the airport. I promise to pay back when i return back home today.
Please you can help me send the money to my name and my present location because i am only left with my passport to pick up the money.

Name: Stephen Gjertson
Address: Colwyn Bay, Clwyd LL28 4EP UK

Do let me know if you will be going to the western union outlet right now to send the money to my name and my present location and please dont forget to get back to me with the transfer details which is the senders information and the MTCN number.

I await your urgent response.
Thanks so much and sorry to bother you.
Stephen Gjertson