Monday, September 08, 2008
Interested Your Artworks... Kindly remove my name from you List ASAP
One of the problems with trying to do something good is that the people trying to do something bad don't like you. Having an artist scammers list means that artists will appreciate it, while art scammers won't.
I have received emails and someone left a comment about a person called "Bikram Shrestha" sending them the usual scam letters, so I listed the person and their email on the list. The artist said that a "whole group of woman artists" received the same letter from this email sbikram81@yahoo.com
The comment that the artist left went like this..
Subject: Artworks Enquiry...
Hello,
I came across some of your masterpiece while surfing the internet at http://www.xxxxx.com website and I am interested in purchasing some of your artworks for our new apartment in Malaysia. I will like you to send me some pictures of your recent porfolio so I can select from your stock. Also let me know the price range of your artworks.
I will look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Bikram.
Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, so I slapped the duck label on it.. and I'm still confident that it is a duck.
BUT.. according to an email that I received from the duck today, he or she isn't a duck!! In the email, it also includes the email that "Bikram Shrestha" sent to the artist.. and the reply of the artist.
Here's the email that "Bikram Shrestha" sent to the artist..
From: Bikram Shrestha sbikram81@yahoo.com
Subject: Interested Your Artworks
Hello,
I am interested in the purchase of the following masterpieces for our new home in Malaysia.
"Your Earth Child #3" , "Your Earth Child #1" , and Falling Empires 1
I will like you to get back with your asking price for each artworks excluding the shipping expense because the artworks will be shipped with my other house items by the cartage company handling the shipment of our house items.
On Payment, I will be happy to pay you with a USA Certified Check which is as good as cash for payment.
I will look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,Bikram.
Ticks all the boxes of a scam email. So nothing there changes my mind.
In his email to me, Bikram also sent the reply of the artist, which made me laugh.
Here's the artist's reply..
oh I can't wait till I can fill your wonderful home with my "masterpieces." what a poor lucky artist I am.
http://www.artnewsblog.com/2008/05/list-of-artist-scammers-and-fraudsters.htm
So, that prompted the angry Bikram Shrestha to send me this threatening email..
Subject:
Fw: Re: Interested Your Artworks... Kindly remove my name from you List ASAP
To Whom It May Concern.
I made enquiry for paintings from this artist and this is what I get in return. I am a very reputable person and I am ready to take this up with you guys. This is very irrational and maybe you idiots should do your research before listing people's ID on your website. I am giving you 48 hours to remove my name and address from your scammers list. Failure to do so will result in me pressing charges against you for defamation of character at the court of law. I belief you have a better understanding of what that means. Consult your lawyer(s) fast for a legal advise because I will be getting free million of dollars from you guys in court.
Also, I require a letter of apology for your foolishness.
- Bikram Shrestha.
I would be very happy to take his name and email off the list if I hated artists, but I don't. I hate people trying to take advantage of others. I have seen at least three emails from Bikram Shrestha, including the one above from him, and they all fit the format of every other art scam email that I have ever received.
Apology? For calling a duck a duck?
Good luck with getting the "free millions of dollars" too as I am an artist!
So if posts slow down on Art News Blog, blame Bikram Shrestha as we'll be in court fighting over my "millions of dollars"..lol.
>> Art Scams ¶ 8:49 AM
I have received emails and someone left a comment about a person called "Bikram Shrestha" sending them the usual scam letters, so I listed the person and their email on the list. The artist said that a "whole group of woman artists" received the same letter from this email sbikram81@yahoo.com
The comment that the artist left went like this..
Subject: Artworks Enquiry...
Hello,
I came across some of your masterpiece while surfing the internet at http://www.xxxxx.com website and I am interested in purchasing some of your artworks for our new apartment in Malaysia. I will like you to send me some pictures of your recent porfolio so I can select from your stock. Also let me know the price range of your artworks.
I will look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Bikram.
Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, so I slapped the duck label on it.. and I'm still confident that it is a duck.
BUT.. according to an email that I received from the duck today, he or she isn't a duck!! In the email, it also includes the email that "Bikram Shrestha" sent to the artist.. and the reply of the artist.
Here's the email that "Bikram Shrestha" sent to the artist..
From: Bikram Shrestha sbikram81@yahoo.com
Subject: Interested Your Artworks
Hello,
I am interested in the purchase of the following masterpieces for our new home in Malaysia.
"Your Earth Child #3" , "Your Earth Child #1" , and Falling Empires 1
I will like you to get back with your asking price for each artworks excluding the shipping expense because the artworks will be shipped with my other house items by the cartage company handling the shipment of our house items.
On Payment, I will be happy to pay you with a USA Certified Check which is as good as cash for payment.
I will look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,Bikram.
Ticks all the boxes of a scam email. So nothing there changes my mind.
In his email to me, Bikram also sent the reply of the artist, which made me laugh.
Here's the artist's reply..
oh I can't wait till I can fill your wonderful home with my "masterpieces." what a poor lucky artist I am.
http://www.artnewsblog.com/2008/05/list-of-artist-scammers-and-fraudsters.htm
So, that prompted the angry Bikram Shrestha to send me this threatening email..
Subject:
Fw: Re: Interested Your Artworks... Kindly remove my name from you List ASAP
To Whom It May Concern.
I made enquiry for paintings from this artist and this is what I get in return. I am a very reputable person and I am ready to take this up with you guys. This is very irrational and maybe you idiots should do your research before listing people's ID on your website. I am giving you 48 hours to remove my name and address from your scammers list. Failure to do so will result in me pressing charges against you for defamation of character at the court of law. I belief you have a better understanding of what that means. Consult your lawyer(s) fast for a legal advise because I will be getting free million of dollars from you guys in court.
Also, I require a letter of apology for your foolishness.
- Bikram Shrestha.
I would be very happy to take his name and email off the list if I hated artists, but I don't. I hate people trying to take advantage of others. I have seen at least three emails from Bikram Shrestha, including the one above from him, and they all fit the format of every other art scam email that I have ever received.
Apology? For calling a duck a duck?
Good luck with getting the "free millions of dollars" too as I am an artist!
So if posts slow down on Art News Blog, blame Bikram Shrestha as we'll be in court fighting over my "millions of dollars"..lol.
>> Art Scams ¶ 8:49 AM
Should we start a defense fund? Or jsut notify his URL for Phishy activities? People love to threten and spread fear for what they want, just got done with an administration who specialized in it, and it often works. But fails in the long run because it builds nothing. Unfortunately, what goes around does not always come around, and others get stuck with the rotting phish.
Have fun with the guy, could be turned into an artwork, what the hell?!
Phishy Etude 1
Though you could list Hirst and others for the same kinda of scam, jsut in reverse. One can only hope there is a god, one of vengeance, and a sense of humor. Or I am in trouble too.
Need a list of lawyers, our families are stinking with em.
have fun,
Art academia delenda est
Have fun with the guy, could be turned into an artwork, what the hell?!
Phishy Etude 1
Though you could list Hirst and others for the same kinda of scam, jsut in reverse. One can only hope there is a god, one of vengeance, and a sense of humor. Or I am in trouble too.
Need a list of lawyers, our families are stinking with em.
have fun,
Art academia delenda est
# posted by 
: 10:30 AM
: 10:30 AM
LOL. I am sure you probably do quite well in life and are more than just comfortable, but come on, do they really think they can sue you for "free million of dollars" ...hehe. Silly Silly.
Thanks for trying to protect people.
Thanks for trying to protect people.
hum! well! err! hum!!!!! LOL!
Donald is right would make a great conceptual piece and I love the title, phishy etude 1.
Donald is right would make a great conceptual piece and I love the title, phishy etude 1.
Well done. You obviously hit this scammer where it hurts. But what a double cheek faking the artist's reply!
Can't wait for the court case: "I, Woopidoo, hereby swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...."
Judge: "Er...Woopidoo?"
"Yes, Your Honour."
"Mm...carry on."
Can't wait for the court case: "I, Woopidoo, hereby swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...."
Judge: "Er...Woopidoo?"
"Yes, Your Honour."
"Mm...carry on."
I've known collectors who have contacted people at random online. Sometimes people mistake them for scammers. However, the mentioned manner of payment is a dead give away.
Hopefully Freud, Koons and Hirst read the blog and open up their wallets for the defense fund Donald..lol.
Phishy Etude could work.
I had to look up "delenda est" as thankfully Latin wasnt compulsory when I was at school.
Thanks for the support guys and girls. I needed to smile.
Phishy Etude could work.
I had to look up "delenda est" as thankfully Latin wasnt compulsory when I was at school.
Thanks for the support guys and girls. I needed to smile.
Balhatain, the whole letter reads like every other scam letter I have received. I would have taken off his name immediately and apologized profusely, but he just confirmed he was a scammer by including his letter to the artist.
They often seem to be moving house, from one country to another (not always).
Theyre not flexible with their method of payment. The scam wouldnt work if you used escrow.com or paypal.com, so they pay with check/cheque.
They have their own shipping company to send the art. Usually the same shipping company that is moving their household items.
Their English is usually bad too, but poor english shouldn't be the only indicator.. for obvious reasons.
When you do receive their cheque/check it will be MORE than the asking price that you agreed to. Which will mean that you have to send them the extra back, while you wait for the bank to realize the check is bad. So you send them good money while you wait to find out that their money was only in their imagination.
They don't just target artists either. They go after anyone selling goods or services online. I think artists are easy pickings though as new artists to the internet are naive and too trusting.
I have had emails from hairdressers from the same people trying to scam artists. Same format, just replace painting names with hair services for a wedding.
They often seem to be moving house, from one country to another (not always).
Theyre not flexible with their method of payment. The scam wouldnt work if you used escrow.com or paypal.com, so they pay with check/cheque.
They have their own shipping company to send the art. Usually the same shipping company that is moving their household items.
Their English is usually bad too, but poor english shouldn't be the only indicator.. for obvious reasons.
When you do receive their cheque/check it will be MORE than the asking price that you agreed to. Which will mean that you have to send them the extra back, while you wait for the bank to realize the check is bad. So you send them good money while you wait to find out that their money was only in their imagination.
They don't just target artists either. They go after anyone selling goods or services online. I think artists are easy pickings though as new artists to the internet are naive and too trusting.
I have had emails from hairdressers from the same people trying to scam artists. Same format, just replace painting names with hair services for a wedding.
I think you should apologise and send him a check for $2 million (making sure that the check is every bit as bogus as his would have been)then ask for the return of $1 million (oopsie, you sent too much)
Scamming the scammer seems like fun to me.
Scamming the scammer seems like fun to me.
lol.. funny Kathy.
The thing that frustrates me about people like this guy is that if they put the same effort into doing something reasonably honest they would probably make just as much money.. or more than he does by scamming people.
The thing that frustrates me about people like this guy is that if they put the same effort into doing something reasonably honest they would probably make just as much money.. or more than he does by scamming people.
Not sure it's about the money. The best (legit) salesmen think of it as a game where the smartest person wins. The money is only the prize. Somehow making others give more money than they had planned improves the self worth of the salesman as well as his bank account. That's probably the same game the scammer's playing - though in my opinion he ought to lose many points for lack of creativity.
I'm fully aware of art scams. My point is that sometimes the collector can be legit and due to letters like this people will assume that it is just another scam. Sorry, I was not exactly clear. Again, in this case the manner of payment was a dead give away.
Well I am in the money, a former wife of a prince once removed needs my help to transfer millions to my account. Which of course I get a big reward. To hell with art. Big money deals are the way to go. Ha just joking, keep up the good work. There are still many people out there who fall for these scams. After all if some didn't the scampers would go away. A while back there was a news show, the same guy who hosts catch a predator, that followed one of these scams. The crooks had taken many people for a lot of money not to mention the mental harm they did to the victims.
# posted by : 4:52 PM
: 4:52 PM
I love the last line...
"Also, I require a letter of apology for your foolishness...."
Hahaha!
I'm sorry. Is it wrong that I keep picture Apu from The Simpsons saying this line?
"Also, I require a letter of apology for your foolishness...."
Hahaha!
I'm sorry. Is it wrong that I keep picture Apu from The Simpsons saying this line?
I am outraged at all of this cynisism. I have become one of the richest men in the world by responding to pleas from Nigerian widows of former bank officials and inherited many million of dollars as a resut of people dying in car accidents in africa, who just happen to have the same name as me. Yes it is true I first had to pay several thousand dollars in fees to sort out several legal formalities before I could recieve my cheque or money order and often pass on my bank and income details so the money could go staight into my account. As if all this money was not enough I stuggle to keep up with the demand for my own magnificent artworks that I produce and sell to people in foriegn parts over the internet. I am often (if not always) paid with a cheque sometimes for several thousand dollars more than theprice of the work which of course i usually hand over in a cash refund to a friend of the customer. I urge you all to stop being so cautious in your business dealings and you will all enjoy much great successes like I have done. Finally let me say what great art work you have produced mr art blog which I would like to fill my new mansion with. Let me know your prices, bank account details, credit card details and passwords by return but please keep our business confedetial to just us parties. Yours, Earl
# posted by : 1:59 PM
: 1:59 PM
Oh, Earl, oh Art News Bog, you guys crack me up!
Reminds me of the man who, using the name of a famous sumo wrestler. wanted me to send art to his PO box and didn't have a land line number for the mailing label. Everyone who wants art seems to be moving! I guess the law is finally after them.
Reminds me of the man who, using the name of a famous sumo wrestler. wanted me to send art to his PO box and didn't have a land line number for the mailing label. Everyone who wants art seems to be moving! I guess the law is finally after them.
That little exchange was priceless! Reminds me of all the great emails I get requesting to help out some prince who needs to deposit some cash into a US bank account! Thanks for sharing.
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