#museum scam

hi tthere!

Its been a busy weekday today, so I apologize for the wait. I'm also on mobile so i apologize for any typos ahead of time. But accounts that are contacting you saying they are interested in your artwork, are usually going to try and perform a fake check scams of some sort!

How I know this type of scam to have started on tumblr was in the form of what many have come to call 'the muse scam'. <- Linked here is my scam alert post. :)

Heres a brief description from said post:

The muse scam is a variant of the fake check scam in which the scammer will contact the victim over social media and claim to want to use their image for an art project. The scammer will often use a stolen social media account to increase their credibility. They will offer a generous sum of money and offer to pay via check, and the victim is instructed to send money to the scammer for “materials” via an irreversible method. The victim is under the illusion that the funds cleared when the bank makes the money available thanks to current regulations. Usually the fake check deposit will be reversed in a few weeks, but it can also take several months. If you do not have the funds to cover the amount, your balance will go negative. Your bank will usually charge a fee for depositing a bad check, and your account may be closed depending on the severity of the scam.

These scams have changed over time, developing into scams that start and look differently, but at their core they tend to be almost identical.

With the museum scam, I honestly know less on how it works, as i haven't experienced that one or even seen someone scam-bait one to know what they do exactly ask for.. But from what I know from reddit and YouTube with free book promotion scasm for example, I'm guessing will likely say they want your art to be displayed in a museum, then after showing you fake credentials, they will either ask for your information to send you a fake check, or have you pay a 'fee' of some sort to get the art sent there. The art won't make it, obviously, and they will make excuses of something having come up and you needing to pay more fees.

There is, of course, always the risk of your information being stolen and such too with that. Especially if you go to websites they send you, or you openly give them your information...

Speaking of websites...

Some of these scams also start where the scammers will start out saying they just.. took your art/pictures, or they want your art/photos to be part of an online bidding service. They will show artists fake screenshots of high bids, and, knowing artists will want their art taken down, they will tell them to go to a fake website that- upon filling out the form to have your art taken down or paying the 'fee', the website will steal your personal and credit card information, sometimes aiming for crypto as well.

All in all, honestly, if anyone approaches you asking you to just.. buy your stuff out of the blue, and their account is a few days to a week account, they have no icon, no posts, of just generic images you can find via referse image sesrching that are stolen or are AI, it's highly likely a scam account.

Thank you for your ask and I hope this helps!