Art Scams! What to look for.

I get a lot of email #art #scams and with the worldwide crisis, I get more than ever! 
They are tricky to see as a scam but most of them have similarities that make them easy to spot.  
Here are a few things to look for:
Usually they are very polite but with bad grammar. 
They are buying for a spouse for a birthday or anniversary. 
They  are always in a hurry and they want to pay by check!  DONT DO IT!  
They best thing is to trust your instincts.  They are usually right.  
If I ever think they could be real, I forward them on to my reps and let them take it from there.  
Recently one of my galleries thought it was a real thing and went along.  The check bounced! 
Then the "buyer" had the balls to send a 2nd check!!  Crazy! 
The police are little help with check fraud in case your wondering.  So in this case you only lose the bounced check fees.  
Dont think they can pay by Cashiers Check either.  It is usually a fake one!
In some cases, they pay by credit card but they always overpay then want you to send them money!  Again, DONT!  If you cash they check, you are complicit in the eyes of the law.  
They will tell you they have their own shipper and want you to pay the shipper, DONT!
Do business the way you always do and trust those nagging feelings you know you get.  

Here is an example of the latest one.  This one even came with the guys photo.  
Name
Tom Glen
Email
[email protected]
Phone Number
Comment
Greetings...  I am Tom Glen from Sydney Texas. I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I stormed on to some of your works which I found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you're doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1500 to $5000.

I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept a check as a means of payment.

Tom Glen.