forwarded email:
I have been in contact with Gretta White for a few weeks now and I realized it was a scam long ago but I have been stringing her along to waste her time and so I could submit as much information as possible to the FBI IC3. I will try to forward you all of our email correspondence.
Dave
----------------
On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 6:57 PM, Gretta White. [smithwhite06@gmail.com]
wrote:
Hi,
Hope this message finds you well. I saw these creatives works on your website and i will like you to get back with more details if they are still available for purchase.
[name of pieces]
I will appreciate an urgent reply.
Best Regards,
Gretta White.
---------------
On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 12:55 PM, Gretta White. [smithwhite06@gmail.com]
wrote:
Hi Dave ,
Good to hear back from you. Yes,i will like to proceed with the purchase of only
[name of piece]
I think it is a lovely work and i hope to give it a good home.
I am presently away in Cancun 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 be back in few days.
Meanwhile,i will like you to forward your mailing address and phone number so i can inform my husband still shutling between our home in New Jersey and London on where to forward the payment . He has just been transfer to head the IT section of their head Office in London.
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 FedEx pick up of the artwork from your studio.
I will look forward to hearing from you so i can know how best to proceed. Cheers.
Best Regards,
Greta.
---------------
On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 5:47 AM, Gretta White. [smithwhite06@gmail.com]
wrote:
Hi Dave ,
Hope this message finds you well. I am very sorry that i couldn't get in touch immediately. I was hospitalized in Cancun immediately after my twin sister's wedding. I almost had miscarriage but thank God, i am now feeling better and can't wait to have my baby and settle down.
I am not sure if my husband has been able to forward the payment to our address. I will check with him and get back to you later today OR tomorrow. Anyway, i have forwarded your contact info to the Moving agency that will be handling the shipment of all our house decors. They promise to get in touch with you today. Try and arrange the shipping details with them. I will like an update from you as soon as you hear from the movers.
Try and get back as soon as you receive this email so i can be sure weare on the same page. Thanks for your patient.
Best Regards,
Gretta.
------------------------
On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 12:16 PM, Gretta White. [smithwhite06@gmail.com]
wrote:
Hi Dave ,
Hope this message finds you well. Thanks so much for your patient regarding the transaction. It has been a very difficult time with a lot of things on the plate.
Anyway , i will like to inform you that the payment was sent by my husband's assistant on Monday via Royalmail and he was advise that you will receive it before the week runs out so try and be on the look out for it.
I will also like you to have our address ,you can add it to your mailing list. I will like to hear about your future works and art shows. Our address in the states is...
107 West Passaic ave
Rutherford, NJ 07070
While our new address in UK is....
41 Queen's Gate Terrace
LONDON , SW7 5PN
UK
Meanwhile, i sent your contact info to the Moving agency that will be handling the shipment of all our house decors yesterday and he promise to get in touch with you. Try and make shipping arrangement with them and keep me updated with details.
I will look forward to hearing from you soon as you receive this email so i can be sure we are on the same page. Thanks for your patient.
Best Regards,
Gretta.
----------------------------
On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 4:58 AM, Gretta White. [smithwhite06@gmail.com]
wrote:
Hi Dave ,
Good to hear you have received payment for the artwork and thanks for your update. I am very excited and can't wait to have the piece on my wall. I hope to give it a very good home and enjoy the piece for years.
Regarding the payment, my husband made a mistake and send your payment with that of the movers because he didn't have full details of the transaction since i was sick when he sent it. I am very sorry for the confusion.
Anyway, i will like you to go ahead and deposit the payment, you can then remove the asking price for [name of piece] and forward the difference back to him.
Meanwhile , i was able to get hold of the movers immediately i got your email and they promise to get in touch with you today and make shipping arrangement. Try and keep me updated as soon as you hear from them.
Best Regards,
Gretta.
PS..Kindly acknowledge this email as soon as possible. Thanks .
-----------------------
On Sun, Feb 19, 2012 at 10:31 AM, Gretta White. [smithwhite06@gmail.com]
wrote:
Hi Dave ,
Hope this message finds you well. I am so happy everything is set for the pick up on Tuesday and can't wait to have the artwork on my wall. Try and keep me updated as soon as they pick it up. About the excess funds , i spoke with my husband this morning and he will like you to forward it via ( western union money transfer ) money in minutes service back to him at the address below.
Name -Smith White
Address- 41 Queen's Gate Terrace
LONDON , SW7 5PN
UK
I was able to find some western union locations near you ,where you can easily transfer the funds. See below.
WALNUT SUPERMARKET
5131-37 Walnut St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
215-472-8410
..............................
KEREN FOOD MARKET
4808 Spruce St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
215-474-2817
..............................
FAMILY DOLLAR #7151
29 N 52nd St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
215-748-4058
..............................
RITE AID #3213
4641-51 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
215-474-5357
............................
RITE AID #1764
5601 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
215-474-6868
...........................
56TH STREET FRESH GROCER
5601 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
215-474-2600
You don't need to have an account,swift codes or any bank codes but you will have to pay western union fees which you can deduct from the difference. It is usually a meagre amount. After the transfer, you will need to get back with the following information.
1. Name and address of sender.
2. Total Amount sent after deducting transfer charges.
3. Money Transfer Control Number ( MTCN number ).
I will like you to handle this as soon as possible. Thanks and I'll await your response.
Gretta.
------------------------------------------
From: Gretta White. [smithwhite06@gmail.com]
Date: Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 12:54 PM
Hi Dave ,
My husband said he called you some minutes ago but the connection was very bad. Sorry about that. Anyway, have you been able to transfer the funds. Is everything is OK for the pick up later today ? Try and get back as soon as possible. Thanks.
Gretta.
Hi Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteThere is something we can do about the ART SCAM by Fred Stellato. He had sent me a check for $4500 and wanted $2900 back. I did not do it. He was using the name Nancy B. Lawton Lawton instead of Gretta White. The FBI will work on the case if they can pull together up to $50,000 in his scam. With what I have and what Judy has and some more, we will be able to put the FBI on this case. I had assisted the FBI with Medi-Cal fraud. Some years ago, I was the expert on Medi-Cal fraud. I understand how large a case needs to be before they look at it. Also, this person Fred may be doing some other scams. I will check with the FBI and try to help them out.
Thanks Again,
Ron
I have just found out that I have been scammed by an art scammer calling themselves Gretta White. I found your site and also artscams.com where I found the very same "Gretta White" in one or two sample letters posted on the site.
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate your effort to combat this crime and spread the word to other artists. I am a hard person to con, or so I thought, but was willing to overlook the odd English and inconsistent responses to my emails, until I received a money order in excess of the cost of the print. From that point on things began to look suspect and I finally put two and tow together with the help of your site and Art Scams.
Thank you and best wishes to you.
Sophia
Sophia, it sounds like the good news is you did NOT lose any money to this scammer, that you figured it out in time. I'm so glad! I figure you are not scammed until there is actual financial loss. So count your lucky stars.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing in and sharing your experiences.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI had inquiry from Gretta White. About the same time period. I did not lose money but it is unfortunate to experience associating with such people.
I wonder if "Gretta" is an artist as well? It would be interesting to have an exhibition curated by "Gretta White?"
This may be shown at 41 Queen's Gate Terrace LONDON , SW7 5PN
UK.
Anna
Glad to hear you did not get scammed. That's always good to hear. I like when we make their lives harder.
ReplyDeleteYou can be sure "Gretta" is not an artist, nor is Gretta likely even a she. These names are made up and its likely a scummy guy in a foreign country, sitting in his bedroom.
I once stumbled upon one scammer who actually had his photo online. He wasn't careful enough about separating his scam work from the rest of his life. It wasn't an obvious link but it was a link I stumbled upon. He was fat, ugly, very slimey looking and lived in Algeria. That was the only time I've "seen" an actual scammer visually. I had to wash my eyes out after that...
I find it interesting too that, although "Gretta" is supposed to be a well-to-do resident of either London or Rutherford, NJ, she doesn't have a native command of the English/American language. This could have come by way of Nigeria like thousands of other email/internet scams. The proof is in the details, the verbs and tenses are used incorrectly, and not the same sort of mistakes a native speaker would make from any stratum.
ReplyDeleteDianne
I just got two checks (they forgot to sign the first) from Ann White - resident of NJ/London and recent wedding attendant in Cancun. They just asked for the difference (the check is for $2000 over purchase price). The checks total over $10K. I'd like to pursue this with the FBI. How to proceed?
ReplyDeleteFabian
Fabian - if they sent the checks via the USPS postal service, you can take them to your local post office and ask for the procedure to get them to the Postal Inspector. Keep all the mailing material as well. If its the USPS, it IS already a crime - mail fraud. Most scammers know this and send their checks through FedEx, who doesn't followup on this stuff and they are a private company and so it is not considered mail fraud.
ReplyDeleteYour second choice is take it to your local bank and ask what the best thing would be to do - they may be interested in following up because counterfeit checks muck up their system, or they may not (many banks just do not have the resources or interest).
Third choice is to take it to the police and ask if they have advice on what the best thing would be to do. Sometimes they care and sometimes they do not (because in their eyes, no crime has yet been committed).
The online reporting to the FBI is really for those who have actually suffered a financial loss (and so already fell for the scam) and I'm really happy you have not!
That is why I began this blog and my facebook page StopArtScams, because at this stage there is not a lot you can do but we ALL can be posting their crap online so that others may find it when googling and avoid becoming the next victim.
Thanks for writing in and sharing your experience. Glad to see you caught it in time.
Thanks for posting this. I was just about to email someone named Lisa Green. I Googled her email address and found your page. Email deleted.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
tom