I just received this email this morning and I knew it was a scam the moment I read it. I’ve seen a few similar to this one over the years.
No signature, bad English, certified check, and last but not least, they want to pick it up instead of having me ship it.
Thought you might want to add the name to the list.
Begin forwarded message:
> From: "Michael Draxler" [micdrax@europe.com]
> Subject: Lovers
> Date: November 11, 2015 at 8:09:46 AM MST
> To:
>
> Do you still have The Lovers available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept certified check as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
I just got an email from this guy. thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteI've had two from separate addresses:
DeleteSubject: Woodbridge Road Suffolk
From: Ruth [rutbra101@gmail.com]
Message: Do you still have the Woodbridge Road Suffolk available for
sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode
of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
Subject: Brockley Wood Beech
From: Debbie [debmart001@outlook.com]
Message: Do you still have The Brockley Wood Beech available for sale
as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of
payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
Thanks for setting up the forum.
I just had one from micdrax@europe.com.
ReplyDeleteName: Michael
Email: micdrax@europe.com
Message: Do you still have The Golden Glow available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept check as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
Also, still trying to discern how he found this. It is titled as this on Saatchi Online but my Saatchi account shows a different email account. So kind of strange how he found me?
Got one too..
ReplyDeleteMichael Draxler
Do you still have The Adult Content available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept check as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
In my spam folder found the same email from Michael
Responded cautiously, assuming fraud.
Today got this email...
I really appreciate it,Am Michael Draxler from Ireland. I am a businessman who is currently on a business trip at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him, he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him. I will contact one of my business associate in the state who is owing me a certain amount of money at our last transaction has promised to pay via check and instruct him to issue the check in your Name and send it to your address. I will like you to kindly get back to me with the below details so that I can forward it over to my client for the payment of the artwork.
Name To Be Written on the check:....
Your Full Address:......
Your Telephone Number:.........
I will like you to kindly provide me with the above information so that I can forward it over to my associate to issue the check in your Name and send it to your address, so that we can conclude this transaction as soon as possible ok, hope to read from you soon...Thanks
You have a new message:
ReplyDeleteVia: [name of site]
Message Details:
Name Michael
Subject The First Key (Mixed Media)
Message Do you still have The First Key (Mixed Media) available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Direct bank deposit as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
Email micdrax@yahoo.com
Sent on: 8 November, 2015
Thank you!
I got one too, just a few minutes ago.
ReplyDeleteMichael
m_draxler@aol.com
......... ..........
Do you still have The ......... ......... available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
I got it today:(
ReplyDeleteDo you still have [name of painting] available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
I really appreciate it. Am Michael from Ireland I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item.
Just got the same email:
ReplyDeleteFrom: Michael Draxler
Do you still have .............. available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
Hm, that's interesting how he makes his trick? The artist wouldn't give artwork to pickup agent before getting money on paypal account. Anybody knows how it works?
This scam is about cash, not about the artwork. Some scammers use the PayPal angle hoping to hold their potential victims in the scam "funnel". They will generally do one of two things - they will end up having some story as to why PayPal can't be used after all but they will send a check (which brings it back to the traditional way this scam works), or they will attempt to send a faked PayPal payment received email notification that looks like it has come from PayPal directly. But it is fake. Victims that never check their sc isn't manually assume they have received the money when they haven't.
ReplyDeleteBut remember, they could care less about the art. They are trying to overpay and have done story as to why you need to wire the overpayment somewhere - to a nonexistent shipper, back to them, etc. once you wire money, it's the same as cash, untraceable, and gone.
So the way to avoid this scam is to never accept overpayments for any reason, and never ever ever wire money to anyone when you are the seller of something online.
Good to know. Thanks Katie.
DeleteI got one today:
ReplyDeleteFrom: Michael Draxler
m_draxler@aol.com
Do you still have The Caballo Pinto available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
but I check this e-mail and I find this blogspot, this is Artscam!!!
Kathleen, thank you very much for explanation and overall for this blog. It's extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteI got it today
ReplyDeleteFrom: Michael Draxler
m_draxler@aol.com
"Do you still have The abstract painting available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon."
Couple of days ago, sister of my wife (she's an artist in Ukraine) got the e-mail from him and he asked for one of her works that he wants to buy and told that will transfer money via PayPal. She asked me if she could use my PayPal address for that.
ReplyDeleteI sent a request for payment to that address and after some time got a very suspicious e-mail that looked like PayPal's email but was obviously fake:
'You've Just Received A Payment (0002) From Michael Draxler
service@Intl.PayPal '
This e-mail also states that funds will be pending on your account until you send part of this money via MoneyGram to some shipping company (all of this sounds like complete bullshit).
Yes - perfect example how scammers use the angle of PayPal for their scam... knowing some people have convinced themselves they are safe so long as they insist on being paid via PayPal.
ReplyDeleteBut they have figured out how to send a fake PayPal email and try to get their victims to wire money before they find out no money has been sent to PayPal at all.
Thanks for sharing this example, to help warn others.
Me too:
ReplyDeleteMichael Draxler (m_draxler@aol.com)
Do you still have The Tiempo de Tomates available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
- I answered how did he find me and his second email:
I really appreciate it. Am Michael from Ireland I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
- it sounds very weird to me and I google his email and came into this site! thanks! :)
I got exactly the same, what is most strange for me: He wants to send someone to pick it, not send.. at this point I start to suspect and google it. Here I found you! thanks! what is his purpose?
ReplyDeleteScammers typically have as part of their scam story that they are relocating and will have a shipper pick up the art. They do that because that part of their fake story explains why they then will over pay for the art and ask the victim to wire the extra money to the shipper.
ReplyDeleteThe shipper doesn't exist and the scammer could care less about the art... it never gets to that. The scam is focused on the victim wiring money (which ends up going directly to the scammer) and once wired money is picked up, its the same as cash, untraceable, and gone.
Only then do many victims discover the original payment is a counterfeit check, a stolen credit card, or a faked PayPal email notification of money received (when no money has actually been received).
Michael Draxler- m_draxler@aol.com
ReplyDeleteMay be they use the accounts at "Saatchi online" too and pick up Mail-adresses by "website of the artist".
Got a second mail this morning - first mail received some months ago:
Do you still have The Spirit available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
Special thanks to you Katie for your mission !
There's a similar money laundry scheme where scammers book hotel rooms and then insist on overpaying as a fee for the travel agent. the stay may then be cancelled.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting twist on the same scam. Scammers sniff out any vulnerabilities in how things are sold online.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
did i get this right? they make you send a paypal request. then they send you a fake acknowledgement with apparently more money paid, which they then ask you to remit to some other account? is that how they make their money?
ReplyDeletePretty close. They will send a fake PayPal email saying they've the money hoping you don't actually check right away ( and NOT by clicking on any links in that fake email!), and then try to get their victims to wire the amount "over" to some fake shipper or saying their accountant or wife made a mistake. The goal is to get money wired to them because once it is picked up, it is untraceable and as good as cash gone.
ReplyDeleteYup, same here! The message was received this morning.
ReplyDeleteWhat do they thinking??? They think the artists are rich? :))
I doubt scammers care. But they DO think artists are a vulnerable group who are generally trusting and really want to sell their art... which makes them more likely to fall for this scam.
ReplyDeleteScammers do often go after those that don't have much to begin with - seniors on limited incomes, micro business owners, individuals selling online just trying to make some spare cash.
Remember...scammers general lack a soul. They don't care.
Glad to hear you didn't fall for this one.
ok got it, actually they send an fake paypal writing, which sais, that the money has been transfered (+900 Euros on top) and it will be booked onto your account once you have transfered the 900 extra via Money Gram. this money is supposed to be for the shipping charge... and i do not think that they think artists are richt, but maybe they thinnk artists are not into the interenet buisiness too much and don't understand anything about money transfer etc. besides every artist is happy to sell a painting. also they do that with cars and other things
ReplyDeleteVery true!
ReplyDeletethanks katiemoe! actually your blog is the only thing i found online about michael draxler! as i have enough experience i wouldn't have fallen for it, but i would have had trouble finding out the thruth an probably wasted too much time on that contact... i also wrote concering this matter to paypal and saatchi art (where they find the artists), let's see if maybe they warn their artists. is there actually a plattform, where scam can be reported in general?
ReplyDeleteThis guy is still active:
ReplyDelete"I really appreciate it. Am Michael from Ireland I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item"
I also noticed right away that something was wrong. Still, you hope somehow it is legit, that's why I answered the firs mail. Thanks so much for this blog, i'll spread the word!
Yes, can confirm as well that the guy is still active! Got the same message as above. We emailed a few times back and forth, I asked him for a adress for the invoice, which I even got, then I send a PDF invoice and never heard back again...so far at least. He wanted to have a payment request from me, which I sent. Then after, communication was dead. What to do about it? Just purely ignore in case he sends another mail? Happy to have found that blog here....
ReplyDeleteMark Howard wellbeck is another .. I think you posted yes? just got two emails his wife likes our art site. Budget is 1 to. 2k seemed strange wanted for christmas
ReplyDeleteGot exactly the same mail this week from debbie martins, marine biologist, as a gift for her dad. I got suspicious by her poor grammar in the first place, by googling it, i came here :) good work! Cheers
ReplyDeleteI've got today...nothing has changed :)
ReplyDeleteMonica Thomas
Do you still have The Old Town
available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
Got one this morning...still going on
ReplyDeleteDo you still have The Callanish no.3 available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
Here is a new one from Ruth Bradley
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate it. I will like to buy the largest size you have. Am Ruth Bradley from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the ite
Here is again a new one from Ruth Bradley from January 23...
ReplyDeleteDo you still have The Anke available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
I am Guy Matchoro, artist, from France. I have got this same e-mail this morning on 1st march 2017 from Ruth Bradley :
ReplyDelete"Do you still have The law of gravity and other horizons available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon."
---
My english is not so good, and I replied confidently. The answer was not long in coming :
"I really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item "
Thankfully, under this website, I understood that it is a scam. Many thanks
Guy
Thank you for this. I too received bad English emails from Ruth Bradley inquiring after my most expensive painting. Similar texts to those above. The correspondence made me suspicicious and by googling her details I found this. Clarity. (Reported to Paypal) Cheers. Shaun
ReplyDeleteGood to know. Thanks Katie.
ReplyDeleteRuth Bradley contacted me too, with exactly the same messages. Thanks to everyone for yor posts. Cheers Wilco
ReplyDeleteSame here !Do you still have The Texas longhorn skull "ojos locos" available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
ReplyDeleteAnd i have traced this email, its send from Nigeria (Lagos)
Thank you Katie! Youre blog about this is very helpfull!
I had it too!
ReplyDeleteDo you still have The Paravan available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
the same got ....
ReplyDeleteName: Ruth Bradley
Phone: 909-353-7617
Street: USA
Zipcode & City 28307
E-Mail: rutbra101@gmail.com
Subject: Ideal summer landscape
Message: Do you still have The Ideal summer landscape available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
I got this on 17 March 2017 from Roth Bradley.
ReplyDeleteThanks to this site!
really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him. I would have loved to purchase the work directly from Saatchi but I don't access to my Paypal account and bank account online from here, but I will contact one of my business associate in Uk who is owing certain amount of money at our last transaction to make a direct deposit into your bank account for the payment of the artwork. I will like you to kindly get back to me with your banking details as requested below so that I can forward it over to my associate for the payment.
Bank Name:.......
Account Name:...........
Account Number:.........
Sort Code:.............
I will also like you to kindly forward me your full contact address and telephone number so that I can forward it over to my pickup agent for the shipment arrangement, hope to read from you soon.
Just got this one from "Walker Dora" from Oregon....looks like i should be expecting that Paypal email soon...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the message.. I must tell you I intend to give my wife a surprise with the immediate purchase of the piece. Also If you'd like to know, I'm relocating to the Philippines soon and our wedding anniversary is fast approaching. So I'm trying to gather some good stuff to make this event a surprise one. I'm okay with the painting and the price I think it's worth it anyway, so I'll be sending a check..
As regarding shipping, you don't have to worry about that in order not to leave any clue to my wife for the surprise. as soon as you receive and cash the check, my shipping agent (who is also moving my personal effect) will contact you to arrange pick-up..
I would have come to purchase the piece myself but, at the moment, am on training voyage to the North Atlantic Ocean (I'm an ocean engineer) with new hires who are fresh from graduate school and won't be back for another couple of weeks..
Regards!
PS: In the meantime, kindly get back to me with your full name (you want the check payable to) cell phone no. and contact address (preferably for USPS OR UPS not P.O box) where a check can be mailed to so I can get the check prepared and have it mailed out to you asap..
Thank you!
thanks for this site today i received a very similar mail from Debbie Martins, another marine biologist at sea !
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate it. Am Debbie Martins from Ireland. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
Today I've received this from Debbie Martins debmart001@outlook.com
ReplyDeleteDo you still have The Evitamiento - Limited Edition 1 of 2 available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
I got it too yesterday :(
ReplyDeleteHi ; today i received this one ; same pattern;
ReplyDeleteFrom:
Ruth Bradley
rutbra101@gmail.com
I really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from Ireland. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
Got the same today from "Ruth Bradley" rutbra101@gmail.com ;-))
ReplyDelete"Do you still have The "..." available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon."
Thank you all for this blog, to warn artists against this SPAM practices!
Today I got an email from Ruth Bradley equiring about one of my husbands artworks. When I asked where had she seen the painging, she replied with exactly the same email you have posted. I thought it was "fishy" when I saw it as the email was sent to my email address and not my husband's.
ReplyDeleteSo, this is definitely a scam trying to get your Paypal account details?
Thanks for posting about this, everyone!
I got the same one! Ruth Bradley, Marine biologist. Thank you for posting about this!
ReplyDeleteJust got one from "Monica Thomas".
ReplyDeleteAnd yes- she is a marine biologist...
Please add her to the list.
monthom001@gmail.com
I received the same email yesterday from Monica Thomas, exact same words, they don even try to change a thing or two on the story.
ReplyDeleteSeems that what we all have in common is the fact that we present art in Saatchi online. I don't know if something can be done here but we have to beware.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to Katie for the help!
ReplyDeleteSame story here ( May 2017) with this fake Debbie Martins profile, a marine biologist at sea... ( response after i offered to ship the artwork myself, at a much lower cost than 900€ requested by her"agent" ) :
ReplyDelete"I would have also loved to ship the work through Fedex as you have suggested since it is quite cheaper, but I will like you to know that the pickup agent will also be helping me to pick some other items alongside the work am buying from you and would want everything to be delivered at once to my father's address, this is the reason why I want the pickup agent to handle to shipping of the work down to my father's address ok. Kindly let know if I can proceed in making the payment into your Paypal account so that we can be able to conclude this transaction as soon as possible, hope to read from you soon."
I said no, and then she stopped responding...
Same story here May 23, 2017
ReplyDeleteRuth Bradley [rutbra101@gmail.com]
Do you still have The Wolf´s Land available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
And:I really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from Ireland. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
Made me suspicious. Please inform Saatchiart.
Thanks, Ursula
Just got the same email from our marine biologist - Monica Thomas . Same story...
ReplyDelete"Do you still have The Maternal Felicity available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
I really appreciate it . Am Monica Thomas from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item"
She asked me to send $1,200 to her delivery guy through money gram because she couldnt use money gram or any other wire transfer solutions while on the sea. I actually agreed to it thinking it's a real situation.
"I was just about to make the payments when i had this little problem with the picking up of the item , I am currently on sea and i am buying the item for my Dad as i explained earlier on and i tried to book pick up with my pick up agent, but they asked me to pay first before they can make the booking, and they only accept Money Gram Transfer for payments and they don't accept Paypal or bank transfer and I tried to send the money online but i couldn't and I am on sea and there is no way i can find a Money Gram agent to make the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it was ok for me to include my pick up agent's fees in the payments I am about to send through Paypal, my pick up agent charged $1200 plus insurance and all of that, please can i include their money in the payments I want to send then after i have made the payments you will help me forward the $1200 to my pick up agent through Money Gram Transfer,this I would have done myself and not bother you but the for the fact that I am currently on sea, so after I have made the payments you will help me send $1200 to my pick up agent through Money Gram Transfer,I just want to seek your consent before going ahead with the payments,I will more than appreciate if you mail me back, and I will be making the payments shortly.
PS:the shipping company's Head quarters and any pick up fees to be paid is sent to their head quarters by the payee, so the money for pick up will be sent to their head quarters through Money Gram Transfer(this can be done from any post office) at Money Gram's office
Here is the agent information needed for the transfer.....
Receiver's Name: Carolyn Rosado
City: New Britain
State : Connecticut
Zip code: 06051
Country: USA
Tel #: +1-614-996-4693"
Things got fishy when she was saying that she sent the money and I couldn't receive it on my account. She persisted that I should follow some email instructions sent from PayPal in order to receive it and that the email might be in junk/spam folder. I called PayPal and they said that there is no such case that PayPal would send an email asking the user to follow any instructions in order to receive money. Then I checked the email address on Google and here is were I ended up.
Greatly appreciate this forum and everyone sharing their experience.
Thanks and stay safe
I've got one too. I had to send the money to/
DeleteReceiver's name: Linda S Lay
City: Sycamore
State: Illinois
Zipp code: 60178
Country: USA
Today i got this one, thank you google :)
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from Ireland. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
Thank you for your attention,
the same story here, but to my daughter from Slovakia, her most expensive painting on Saatchi.. i tried to look for Ruth Bradley from Ireland, found an actress, second try adding the marine biologist.. and got here! thanks a lot for this..
ReplyDeletehonestly the story with father and sea and no internetbanking was suspicios at the forst sight!
thanks a lot
Thank you all for posting here! The mail from Ruth Bradley made my suspicious right away and I googled her name and found this site. I wonder if anyone has reported this fraud to Paypal? I'm thinking of proceeding to get the fake paypal mail and then forwarding it to paypal itself. Or they wouldn't care?
ReplyDeleteJust got one. Ruth Bradley:
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from Ireland. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
I got the same with Carolyn rosado
ReplyDeleteJust how did they get to a website for horses here in Germany
Apparently she mailed the money as I got a notice from PayPal
What now
Check by manually logging into your paypal account (do NOT click on a link from the email) and see if that notice is even real. Many scammers fake paypal money sent notifications and even fake landing pages if you click on the link in the email.
ReplyDeleteIf you determine the paypal notification is fake (I bet it is), then just delete, ignore, and move on.
Scammers do not care who they are emailing or what you are selling. They are after your cold hard cash and disappear quickly once they get it. But you can protect yourself by (a) never accepting overpayments for any reason (b) never ever ever wire money to anyone if you are the seller.
I also received a letter from rutbra101@gmail.com
ReplyDelete"Hi, am interested in buying one of the artworks you have available for sale. I will like you to kindly send me the list of the works you have available for sale and their various price, I will also like to know if you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon."
Thanks to everyone for the information about him
Just today I received the one from Ruth Bradley.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this in the thread.
If I could only get my Effing hands on Monica Thomas!! I thought I made a sale... accept deep in my heart I knew it wasn't because Monica Thomas speaks bot! I hate bots!!! Anyway, Monica Thomas ( monthom001@gmail.com ) says:
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate it. Am Monica Thomas from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
KatieMoe your are the best, thank you for your blog. I also received an email from MonicaThomas (exactly the same as the above), anyway I´m curious to see how far and how the scheme works. thank you again for your posts.
ReplyDeleteHi, it looks like I've fallen for the same scam. The only details I've given him, is my email address, has already had. I've also sent him an invoice from Paypal. Any advise?
ReplyDeleteI thought I'd add my experience as a warning. Conversation with frank Wilson, frank.123456.wilson@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHi Frank,
That is really your responsibility regarding other fees. You are welcomed to pay through Paypal, or where you saw my artwork. But I'm not willing to accept payments any other ways. This part due to the amount of fraudulent emails that circulate through the Internet. Regards, Maria
I was just about to make the payments when i had this little problem with the picking up of the item , I am currently on sea and i am buying the item for my Dad as i explained earlier on and i tried to book pick up with my pick up agent, but they asked me to pay first before they can make the booking, and they only accept Money Gram Transfer for payments and they don't accept Paypal or bank transfer and I tried to send the money online but i couldn't and I am on sea and there is no way i can find a Money Gram agent to make the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it was ok for me to include my pick up agent's fees in the payments I am about to send through Paypal, my pick up agent charged $750 plus insurance and all of that, please can i include their money in the payments I want to send then after i have made the payments you will help me forward the $750 to my pick up agent through Money Gram Transfer,this I would have done myself and not bother you but for the fact that I am currently on sea, so after I have made the payments you will help me send $750 to my pick up agent through Money Gram Transfer,I just want to seek your consent before going ahead with the payments,I will more than appreciate if you mail me back, and I will be making the payments shortly. PS:the shipping company's Headquarters and any pick up fees to be paid is sent to their headquarters by the payee, so the money for pick up will be sent to their headquarters through Money Gram Transfer(this can be done from any post office) at Money Gram's office
Hi Frank,
I have since sent you an email of your invoice. Can you please let me know when you plan to pay this? Maria. Yes i will give you the address of my pick up agent when its time i would love it if you can send me your paypal invoice attach with your e-mail so i can make the payment and i would like you to send me the pic again.hope to hear from you soonest.
Hi Frank,
Sure. That sounds fine. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Would you please give me the details of the person who is picking up the artwork, and can you ask him to supply some ID. Its just for precautionary reasons, as I would a lot more at ease handing up over.I will get back to as soon as possible with my paypal details.
Regards, Maria
I really appreciate it. Am frank wilson from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item.Thanks frank
Hi Frank,
Sure, I do. I have a paypal account, so that's fine. I prefer credit card. Let me know if paypal still suits you more. The soonest I could get the piece for you would have you be next week. Friday-Saturday. It’s actually one of my favourite pieces. The piece is going for $1500.
Maria
Do you still have The Crystallisation for sale as i amhighly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
The person contacted also me just couple days ago (as Ruth Bradley).
ReplyDeleteI reported him/her to the police since looks like the person's been at it for quite some time.
- Finnish artist
Monica Thomas
ReplyDeletemer. 12/07/2017
I really appreciate it. Am Monica Thomas from France. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item.
I had the same message today, from Frank Wilson, marine biologist from USA currently at sea. What should I do?
ReplyDeletei also got an email from monica thomas.
ReplyDeletei doubt she can pay me, so i give it in hands of my lawer,
This is obviously a SCAMMER. I just got the same shit message from this guy:
ReplyDelete"I really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from France. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item"
same on my side: just received this SCAM message:
ReplyDelete"I really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from France. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item"
Hi, I also got the "Ruth Bradley" short version mail.
ReplyDelete"Do you still have The Zona III (The Zone III) available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon."
My reply:
"Hi Ruth, just wondering, are you currently at sea?"
(Don get scammed. Kind regards and thanks to the author of this blog ;)
I have just received it also from Ruth Bradley .....
ReplyDeleteDo you still have The Creation available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
I really appreciate it, I saw the work on Saatchi art and am highly interested in it. Am Ruth Bradley from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item.
Thanks so much for your mail and generous offer. I will like you to kindly send me a payment invoice directly from your Paypal account for the amount of $4910 so that I can be able to make the payment into your Paypal account without making mistakes, hope to read from you soon.
I was suspicious from the start, especially as they had no knowledge of transferring artworks or anything like that....... I will be ignoring all other emails and blocking the user...... thanks for the info everyone, hope this can help others also.
Hi, am interested in buying one of the artworks you have available for sale. I will like you to kindly send me the list of the works you have available for sale and their various price, I will also like to know if you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate it, I will like to purchase The Violets 24"W x 16"H x 1.6"D and May It Be 20"W x 16"H x 0.4"D. Am Ruth Bradley from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
Ruth Bradley
Ruth Bradley
I got exactly the same letter yesterday 😡😤. Is PayPal safe?
DeleteHi, am interested in buying one of the artworks you have available for sale. I will like you to kindly send me the list of the works you have available for sale and their various price, I will also like to know if you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
ReplyDeleteRuth Bradley
3:43 AM (7 hours ago)
I really appreciate it, I will like to purchase The You Are My Best Friend. Am Ruth Bradley from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
O shit, I got it also today!!! :( Good that I found this your page here... Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteEmail Address: frank.123456.wilson@gmail.com
Message: Do you still have The DANCING SHADOW 1 for sale as i
amhighly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of
payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you
soon..
Just received the Frank Wilson one too. Had Ruth Bradley the other day and also a Peter Chao last year (offshore, Singapore). Thanks for the amazing page!
ReplyDeleteShit ....Frank Wilson is sending same email 2 years later ...thanks for this website
ReplyDeleteI recently received this:
ReplyDeletefrom: frank wilson
Do you still have The ALLURE for sale as i
amhighly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of
payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you
soon..
I really appreciate it. Am frank wilson from USA. I am a marine
biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item
as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont
know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can
only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account
online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account
attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you
through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal
details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the
payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent
that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees
and will be done after i have made the payments for the
item......Thanks frank
Thank you for this blog! I thought something was amiss when Frank kept insisting he has no other means of communication because he was at sea but he could respond to emails quite well. Also his delay in providing his shipping agents details! Curious about this Marine Biologist as I am into conservation myself, i ended up here reading this. Thank you once again for all the shares here!!!
ReplyDeleteGot this mail today from: rutbra101@gmail.co
ReplyDeleteDo you still have paintings available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
Omg. Thanks for this page that I didn’t made a mistake. I got the letter down yesterday. I am chock. How can we stop them?..
ReplyDeleteThe Email is from Ruth Bradley Irish
rutbra101@gmail.com
Do you still have The Birds available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
I really appreciate it. Am Ruth Bradley from Ireland. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
you cannot stop them, just be smarter than them. It's always the same style, also be wary. :) I never had anyone request to buy my paintings as they are ridiculously expensive and I am not a "real" artist. So I was wary about this at all in the first place, then the "pick up" and "whatnot" adds to it as well
DeleteThe same letter for every one? We most stop those people. It’s seams like they are a group.
ReplyDeleteJust received an email from Ruth Bradley: rutbra101@gmail.com..asking for available with poor grammar but was asking to pay via PayPal, so I didn’t catch it as a scam right away. Just a warning!
ReplyDeleteLooks like Ruth Bradley is still at it (rutbra101@gmail.com) Was pretty sure it was a scam but thought I'd confirm my suspicions. Red flags were abrupt email, the sender enquired about work that had already been sold, didn't add any signature, and scarily wanted to come and pick the work up expecting me to give personal info with absolutely no assurances. I used to string them along but now I think they may even enjoy that...
ReplyDeleteI got this one yesterday:
ReplyDeleteRuth Bradley
Jul 4, 2018, 3:25 AM (1 day ago)
to dm
Do you still have The A Wrinkle in Time, abstract painting available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
and then Today another one:
Ruth Bradley
10:26 PM (1 hour ago)
to me
I really appreciate it, I found the artwork on your page online. Am Ruth Bradley from Ireland. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
ALERT! THIS PERSON IS STILL ON!!
ReplyDeleteI've just received an email by the name of Ruth Bradley some days ago - July 2018.
Thanks for this blog!
Thanks for this blog. I received a message from a certain Ruth Bradley and I did not trust it. Glad I found all the answers to my questions above. Have a nice day, dear collegues !
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for this site. I just received the exact same emails from a Ruth Bradley. I decided to look up a Roses Bradley who was a marine biologist at sea, never imagining that it was a scam. Thank you, thank you!
ReplyDeleteHere's mine, two days ago......
ReplyDeleteFrom: Ruth Bradley
Sent: Tuesday, 21 August, 2018 3:39 AM
To: austen1@btinternet.com
Subject: landscape with robot and dogs
Do you still have The landscape with robot and dogs available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
This is the third time this has happened to me. The first time it got as far as me receiving a cheque. I had it traced, and it came from a Nigerian student who'd been paid for some reason by his college. and he'd reproduced and altered the cheque. So they may all be coming from oone source in Nigeruia. Next time I shall take great pleasure in telling them to stick their payment where the sun don't shine.
Austen Pinkerton, Narberth, U.K.
Thank you for the warning! Received the same email from Ruth Bradley yesterday and decided to do a little search. She seemed more interested in the mode of payment than my art so I had a gut feeling this is a scam and now I am sure of it.
ReplyDeleteAngela
Bad girl Ruth continues to hang in there with her bad English writing. She/he sticks to the same script.
ReplyDeletehope to read from you soon. Classic
Received today.
Do you still have The Excavation V + VI sale available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon.
Ruth is still going strong. Today I've got email from Ruth Bradley,too !
DeleteThank you for this blog. You have saved many artists !!!
I also got an email from Ruth Bradley, this time from South Africa , saying she is a marine biologist wanting to buy two of my paintings as a gift for her father .And YES, she wanted to have them picked up at home.Thanks for your blog!
ReplyDeleteThis is what she wrote me yesterday : I really appreciate it. I Am Ruth Bradley from South Africa. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
ReplyDeleteDear All,
ReplyDeleteThis is just a short message to let you know about a new scammer, using the email address: ariadnihager0001@gmail.com and pretending to be an art lover - Ariadni Hager (name taken from a no longer existing account on Saatchi art).
Message from 20/01/2019:
"Do you still have [title of the work] available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon"
Thank you Katie for creating this blog!
Best,
Eduard
My husband who is artist just got exactly same email from: ariadnihager0001@gmail.com. Thanks to you we realised that is scam.
ReplyDeleteI also received such a letter from Ariadni Hager
ReplyDeleteDo you still have The DEIDAD CAÓTICA II available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
....I really appreciate it, I will like to buy the two paintings in the attachment . I Am Ariadni Hager from Greece. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
Seems that this guy is still working, same text/story but using a new alias "Agost Emiliano", since I've had the following e-mails from him in the last day or so. I hope this helps and educates fellows artists......
ReplyDeleteFrom: Agost Emiliano
Do you still have The Golden Face And Sleeping Woman available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon
I really appreciate it. I Am Agost Emiliano from Argentina. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item....
Today I had the same email in my inbox, also from Agost Emiliano, requesting paypal. I am just surprised how "he" thinks this would have worked?? I would have waited for the cash on the bank account anyhow from paypal. So ridiculous. I get the check cash scams but the paypal scams? Anyone enlighten me? Anyhow, I was suspicious and started googling and immidiately found this link which I sent him in return :)
ReplyDelete"Do you still have The Saudade available for sale as i am highly interested in it and do you accept Paypal as a mode of payment and also if pick up is acceptable, hope to read from you soon"
"I really appreciate it. I Am Agost Emiliano from Argentina. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item"
Agost Emiliano
ReplyDeleteSomebody should let PayPal know that they are faking their emails.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDelete