Scammers are not above grabbing the names of real people online and using them for their own criminal purposes. Also notice how, in the below scam, the scammer begins by asking about PayPal (thus trying to establish some credibility with their victim) but then switches, using some trumped up story, to what they actually need for their scam to succeed: a wire transfer via some service like Western Union or MoneyGram.
Hello Kathleen,
Well, it's the first time it's happening to me. I'm glad I found your site, thank you for doing this. The name was not on your list, it's luiza kwiatkowska, e-mail luiza.kwiatkowska@o2.pl. When I look for the name on the internet it seems to be a renowned graphic designer and illustrator in Poland but I'm pretty sure it's not her...
She contacted me via a website where I sell some artwork. In her profile at that site, she mentions she
is from Miami.
Here's the conversation (and LOTS of warning signs). I replied to her first e-mail only, to see if she was serious. And then her second e-mail just raised some major suspicions and was just plainly ridiculous. I didn't reply to her and I'm going to delete the e-mail :
*luizakwiatkows*
offers 600 CAD on your artwork Modèle au corbeau
Hello,
I have read very about your item.
Am okay with the condition of the item. But before i proceed with the payment i will to ask about the item..
I have a private shipping company that will come for the pick up of the item in your location
Do you accept PAYPAL as you mode of payment?
What is the final price of the item without shipping cost?
Get back to me in my private mail at : luiza.kwiatkowska@o2.pl
Best Regards
My reply :
Hello,
> I have a private shipping company that will come for the pick up the item in your location
We are in Montreal, Canada. I can have the painting available at my usual gallery here at a time of your choice.
> Do you accept PAYPAL as you mode of payment?
Yes, you may address the payment to [paypal e-mail]
> What is the final price of the item without shipping cost?
600$ is fine.
Thank you for your interest.
Hello
I'm about to make the payments when i had this little problem with the picking up agent of the Item,I think you remember what i said in my previous mail that I'm working presently on the sea,so i tried to secure booking with my pick up agent,but they asked me to pay first before they can make the booking, and they only accept Western Union Money Transfer for payments and they don't accept PayPal or bank transfer, So i tried to send the money online but it's not going through and i am on the sea, there is no way i can find a western union agent to make the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it will be OK for me to include my pick up agent's fees together with your payments through PayPal,So you will help me wire the pick up fee to them via western Union Money Transfer immediately i pay you,i don't mean to bother you I'm sure you understand that I'm presently on the sea and there is nothing i can do to that,The bottom line is after I have made the payments via PayPal,you will help me wire my pick up agent fee to them through western union money transfer, I just wanted to seek your consent before going ahead with the payments,I will be very happy if my offer is given a favorable consideration,Respond as soon as possible so that i can send out your Payment.
Regards.
She contacted me today as well, 2013-12-09
ReplyDeleteI called the police in Sweden and realized it as well. Thank god!
here's another emailer for your list of scammers : robert_c734@hotmail.com
ReplyDeletegoing by the name of Cynthia Roberts wanting to buy your art!
peterto6565@gmail.com is another one to add to your list, someone going by the name "Peter Towery" preying on artists. Total scam!
ReplyDeleteluiza.kwiatkowska@o2.pl is still acting... watch out.
ReplyDeleteNow she/he wanted to buy from Romanian websites electronics...
Dear Friends,
ReplyDeleteI am an artist too, and I'm in my early sixties, saw a lot and heard a lot in my life, so allow me please to give you a commonsense tip, since I arrived here accidentally to read your posts while researching another art-related issue on Google.
With the exception of the Japanese artist who used Google Translator for his e-mail exchange, and whose naivety is understandable because of the language barrier, all the rest of you had a very good alarm systems coming to you upfront within those e-mails and you missed it.
No art collector or art-lover buys art over the internet using such appalling English - no orthography, no clear style, no good spelling. Art collectors are business people, they have good secretaries. Art lovers are educated people with good money to invest in art, or enough money and taste or understanding to decorate their homes with original art-works.
How could you believe that the name of someone is Rebecca Williams or something like that, (100% Anglophone) and the person resides in UK, HAS UNDERSTANDING and love of art, but cannot put a phrase together correctly in her maternal language?!
Art collectors and art lovers are usually well educated people, if they use the internet for shopping they are internet savvy, therefore they can speak English very well; or otherwise they would use an someone who CAN!
How could anyone believe that a sailor aboard a ship spends his spare-time browsing your site to buy art?! Have you ever been on a ship? It's like imagining that a bus driver while on duty, would browse the internet on his iPhone to buy your art between 2 stops!
Doesn't matter from what foreign land an art lover is, s/he is always educated enough to use BUSINESS LANGUAGE or they have an educated enough representative to do that on their behalf – that is your best tip ever.
Nobody writing like a gangster could be an art-lover/collector - ever. Let’s be logic here.
From Poland to Morocco and from the Philippines to South Africa educated people speak English these days and they even spell better than some native speakers.
I know these things because I was born in Eastern Europe, lived there for 35 years then moved to Australia. Still, I'm a professional artist, therefore consider myself an educated person, so if my English is not impeccable, it is still good compared to all the correspondence you all replied to in the examples above. English is my third language. Do I sound like those scammers to you though?
So, unless someone writes at least as BAD as I do, ignore them and their requests, they know NOTHING about art.
Please JUDGE THE BOOK BY THE COVER WHEN YOU DO BUSINESS - it's a rule in all sorts of trades.
The shabbier looking the partner, the more chances are he's a scammer. In the internet scamming business where you cannot see face to face, the language is KEY.
Good luck to you all!
Got this today. Looks like this guy has a bunch of names. Beware.
ReplyDeletemike evans (mikee2230@gmail.com, 2027947810) has sent you an inquiry.
Message:
My name is Mike Evans from Washington DC. I was looking for some artwork online and i found your contact while searching. I will like to purchase some of your work for my wife as a surprise gift for our 20th anniversary.Please kindly send pics and prices of some of your art which are ready for immediate sale within price range $500- $5000, i could be flexible with price. So i will hope to hear a lot more about any available piece in your inventory ready for immediate sale.
Thanks and best regards,
Mike.