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Warning to Artists

Dear Fellow Artists:

I recently received an e-mail message from a person claiming to be John Nelson from South Africa. I want to warn you all not to deal with this person unless he agrees to pay for your work through Paypal or a trusted source. Do NOT AGREE TO ANY TRANSFERS INVOLVING WESTERN UNION. Also, be aware that checks can be forged and credit cards may have been stolen.

My Experience:

About a year ago, I received a similar message from a person claiming to be moving from the U.S. to London, England. He wrote me that he would send me a check for the art work which would be for several hundred dollars over the purchase price. The additional money was to be forwarded to his moving company to pay for shipping the paintings and other household items to London. I was supposed to deposit the check into my account and wire the excess funds to a coded account via Western Union. Luckily, I was suspicious and did not do this.

This scam works when the art buyer sends you a check, and your bank initially credits it to you account. The victim, thinking that the check has cleared, sends the agreed amount of overpayment to the Western Union account. Later, the bank learns that the check is bogus, but the artist, having sent money out of their own account, has been screwed out of several thousand dollars. My bank told me that deposited checks will be initially credited in two or three business days. I learned that actually, it could take over a week to clear a deposited check. I remember that my customer was very anxious that I deposit the check and wire the over payment as quickly as possible.

I hope that Mr. Nelson is sincere and an honest man. I am not accusing him of anything. I just wanted all of you to be aware of what can happen. Mr. Nelson had included your names along with mine when he sent his e-mail, and I thought it might be an excellent idea to contact you to make sure none of you are victimized. If you wish, you may pass this notice on to your friends.

Sincerely,

Joseph Lawrence
lawrence02biz@msn.com