How to Scam a Commercial Artist

I’m taking a break from my Dickens projects to talk about a recent attempt to scam me as a commercial artist. While it seemed like a real job at first, there were warning signs along the way that just bemused me until the scam was revealed.

This job was a referral from a former artist acquaintance who I knew too many years ago to count, and we are now Facebook friends. He’s legit, I have no reason to think he was any more than an innocent dupe. But it spiraled pretty quickly!

Here are the sketches I submitted:

Most of the correspondence between me and the “client”. I’ve left some personal info of theirs since I don’t think any of these names are real.

______________________________________________

Hello Gerry,

How are you doing? I am sorry for the late response. I had a family emergency. Xxx spoke highly of you. I am an independent academic consultant. I work part-time as a researcher and I also teach music on the side. That is how I earn my living. From time to time I organize seminars and workshops to educate the younger generation on chosen subject matter and hire professionals to give speeches at these seminars. This is absolutely free at no cost whatsoever to the participants of the workshop. I approach well-meaning individuals, organizations and large corporations for sponsorship of these programs and present proposals to them. As a giveback initiative, most sponsors want to be part of it. I do not source clients from any online platform. I organize, get a sponsor and meet deadlines. Below is my contact information:

April Castillo
198 Primrose Dr
Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
703-410-2085

The illustrations will be used in a slide lecture and the sole aim of the workshop is to enlighten the younger generations on the importance of engaging in sporting activities at a tender age. No lettering or logo just the images and  I prefer email communication for documentation and record keeping.

Many thanks.

_______________________________________

Hi April,
I hope your family emergency has resolved okay. I take it from your letter that you’re engaging my services for this project and I would like to thank you!
If you’d like me to just begin some sketches based on your notes, I can do that. I would recommend I do one or two to get your feedback on style etc.
I can meet the Dec. 5 deadline as long as there’s no delay approving the full set of sketches. Any changes or redo’s can impact that of course.
I understand the rate is $395 for ten sketches, at a total of $3950. The illustrations will be in color, of sports figures as described in your notes. Let me know if you would like to add any detail to the drawing descriptions.
I will need a purchase order for this amount signed by two people from your organization. Let me know if you need my SS#, home address, or any other info.

If this is agreeable to you, just let me know and thanks again.

Gerry

___________________________________________

Hello,
Thanks for the quick response. My mom is stable at the hospital, thanks for asking. You truly understand what I want. I have communicated with the sponsor, who has consented to issue a cashier’s check or a bank-certified check for the agreed amount. I would like to arrange for either a partial or full payment to ensure that you are committed to this project. In the meantime, please provide me with your information in the following format so that I can send the payment:

1. Name to be written on the check
2. Physical Address
3. Mobile Number

Once I receive the requested information, your payment will be processed and mailed out immediately. You may send your details via text message to 703-410-2085

Best regards.

__________________________________________

Hello Gerry,

Thanks for your response. I want the images to be portraits (horizontal). I acknowledge that your details have been received and payment will be mailed out to you as soon as possible. I will keep you posted.
My regards.

On Thursday, 17 October 2024 at 16:56:53 GMT-7, Gerry Mooney <gerry@mooneyart.com> wrote:

Hi April,
Name for check: Gerard Mooney
Physical address: xxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Mobile #: xxx xxx xxxx

I will have some sketches in a few days, just one or two for your approval to start.
One more question: you mentioned A4 or 8-1/2″x11″  to be used in a slide show, and I wanted to ask, horizontal or vertical format?

Gerry Mooney

__________________________________________

Hello Gerry,
The payment has been issued and mailed out to you. You’d get it in a couple of days.
Regards.

On Tuesday, 22 October 2024 at 06:32:07 GMT-7, Gerry Mooney <gerry@mooneyart.com> wrote:

Hi April,
I hope your plans are moving forward. Let me know when to expect something as I would like to get a few sketches to you. Thanks!

Gerry Mooney

_______________________________________

Hello Gerry,

I got the sketches and they’re exactly what I was hoping for. You’re doing a great job Gerry. Please continue. The payment will be delivered soon. Please be on the look out for it.

Warm regards. 

________________________________________

Hello Gerry,

How are you doing today? I am glad that you have the check. Please go ahead and deposit it and let me know as soon as you do that. Yes, you sign them, that’s totally fine by me.  Let me know as soon as the check is deposited.

Warm regards.

On Friday, 25 October 2024 at 07:12:57 GMT-7, Gerry Mooney <gerry@mooneyart.com> wrote:

Hi April,

I got the check this morning and I want to say thank you for your trust and enthusiasm. I should have the rest of the sketches done by Monday or Tuesday and if they meet with your approval the final art shouldn’t take too long. The Dec. 5 deadline is not a problem.
I also wanted to ask if I can sign these if I keep it discreet. If not I understand!
Thank you again!

Best regards,

Gerry

_______________________________________

Hi Gerry,

How are you doing? I was told that the funds will be available next day and you’d have access to your full payment. Please confirm that the money is available and accessible in your account. My sponsor wants to be sure the funds are in and we are ready to go. Confirm funds availability and get back to me.

Many thanks.

______________________________________

Dear Gerry, 

I hope you had a pleasant weekend. I noticed that I did not receive a response from you, which led me to assume that you do not work on weekends. Have you been able to confirm the availability of funds, and how is the progress of the project? I look forward to your reply. 

Best regards.

______________________________________

AND NOW, THE SCAM

Dear Gerry,

I would like to inform you that we are temporarily pausing the project. The sponsor has expressed a desire to utilize the workshop as a medium for conveying political messages and as part of a campaign. I have declined this request to politicize the workshop, resulting in her decision to withdraw from the sponsorship and request an immediate refund. Had she communicated this intention earlier, I would not have accepted her sponsorship.

It is crucial for me to retain your services, so I have negotiated that she will cover the deposit. You will retain 25% of the total amount as a retainer until another payment is received. Please understand that this does not constitute a cancellation of the project. Kindly hold onto the images until I secure a new sponsor who can provide the remaining balance.

Regarding the refund, she has requested that the amount of $2,960 be sent via MONEY ORDERS through FedEx or USPS. The shipping cost will be deducted from the total refund.

Here is the financial breakdown:
Total Payment Sent: $3,950
Deduct: 25% of $3,950 = $990 (Retainer)
Refund: $2,960

Please procure a MONEY ORDER for the amount of $2,960 and send it via FedEx or USPS Priority Overnight to the following address:

Name: John Bruner  
Address: 1143 S Euclid Ave  
Villa Park, IL 60181, USA  

– Purchase the MONEY ORDER from the Post Office. Leave it blank or write the names on it.

– Do not detach the receipt from the Money Orders for verification purposes.
– Send it using USPS Overnight Express with a signature waiver.
– Please provide me with the USPS tracking number once sent.

Alternatively, for your convenience, I recommend using Zelle. This would eliminate the need for mailing money orders. Please let me know which option you prefer so I can provide you with the necessary details.

Zelle: 732 239-8946  
NAME: Anthony Moore  

* Please divide the funds into three separate transactions.

* The first transfer should be $950, followed by another $950, and finally $1,060.

I would appreciate it if you could send me a screenshot of each transfer. After completing each transaction, please take a screenshot and send it to me via email or text. I will need three screenshots in total.

Thank you very much.

_____________________________________

At this point I visited the bank and the official who helped me was a former police investigator and determined that the check (which had bounced by now) was fraudulent. We agreed I didn’t need to contact the scammers again after this.

So, no loss to me, but I am not in the habit of returning money that’s already been paid to me! I guess the warning is that even people who want to give you money may be trying to scam you.

Thanks for reading. You can leave a comment below, or email me with comments at dickens@mooneyart.com.