Forum

 I received this email today and wanted to share it. I took out the names of anyone for legality purposes. I also came close to becoming a victim of this scam operation. On receiving the check, I had it checked out before depositing, especially when the amount was more than what I was asking.

Here is this guy's experience. Several years ago, I was caught up in a scheme with supposed European art buyers, claiming to represent private buyers and small galleries. The bought a couple of small pieces from me in the beginning. A few weeks later they  called me (with very convincing accents) saying they wanted several of my more costly photos  and asking if I also could be of assistance to them. They would FedEx a check to me for a much larger amount than I was selling my photos for. They would say that they had a courier  (a uniformed courier) from out of the area who was representing them picking up a much more valuable piece of artwork and  the valuable artwork seller demanded cash only and please cash their check, take out the cost of my artwork, keep 5% my trouble and pay the remainder to the courier who also picked up my photos.

These scammers would send checks that had stolen account numbers from major corporations. The operation was nationwide. They posted ads for artwork in local papers and online. It was very elaborate, with European phone numbers and email addresses, and courier with fake uniform. The scammers were based in New Jersey. According to the police, they estimated that they had made nearly $25 Million in under 6 weeks, nationwide, off of unsuspecting people, just like me. They never caught them.

It ended up costing me almost $20,000  to my bank, as well as several of my original photos.