If you are a member and we have missed listing your group’s upcoming auditions, workshops, special projects, etc., let us know!
Include a small copy of your logo too if you would like to have it posted.

Artist and Website SCAM ALERTS!

PRAC is periodically allerted by members on various scams. Most of the shows and opportunities on this page are from members, but check out the group if you don’t really know it.

Check out Art Scams and on our scams page!

INTERNET ART SCAMS

Have you received many of these messages? Laura Warburton is sharing a current message she is receiving copies of.

Subject: Art work Enquiry

Hope this message finds you well,i came across some lovely and creative artworks on your site while searching for good artworks and I will like to buy creative artworks out of your stock.
I will be happy to have this selected artworks hanged in our new home. What is the least price? We are travelling from our USA home to our new apartment in London,uk .Regarding payment,I will be happy to pay you with a certified Travellers cheque/moneyorder/cashiers cheque . An urgent reply we be appreciated.Thanks.
Kindly don't bother to include the shipping cost because i have a private shipper hat will arange for the pick up of the art work in your location once you have cleared the payment in your bank,they are in charge of moving our other house interior decor to our new home.I await your contact details to make out the payment to you asap.

Artists are increasingly becoming the target of cyber-scamming.  This email is just one example of the type of internet fraud that artists are receiving from unscrupulous scammers prosing as serious art buyers.
There are a number of points that suggest that this inquiry is not entirely as it may seem;

• The spelling and grammar are generally quite poor.

• The buyer is often either traveling or overseas.

• The buyer wants to pay via a travelers cheque, money order or cashiers cheque, all of which are relatively easy to forge.

• The buyer wants to arrange their own shipper.

• They buyer is most often in a hurry to close the deal.

There are many ways to safeguard your work against scams like this, and they are all really quite simple. 

Never accept payment via a travelers cheque, money order or cashiers cheque.  These are all quite easy to forge and your bank can remove the funds from your account to cover a fraudulent payment well after the art has been shipped, often as long as 30 days or more.  The fraudulent buyer who is in a hurry is attempting to pressure the artist into shipping the work before payment has cleared. Similarly, they frequently want to arrange their own shipping or have someone pick up the artwork in order to have possession of it before their phony payment has been discovered. A direct bank-to-bank wire transfer is the safest method to receive payment.  Your bank will ensure the funds are clear, most often on the day of the transfer.

Never accept an overpayment.  Once the price of the art and shipping has been determined, that’s the amount of the payment you should receive from the buyer.  If they send you more than that (often much more) and ask you to send them a cheque for the difference, you will find yourself out of pocket for not only the value of the artwork and the fraudulent payment, but also for the difference of the overpayment you’ve sent back.  No one is going to ‘accidentally’ send you a payment of $7,000 for a painting that you’re selling for $3,000.

As exciting as it may be to have an art buyer contact you wanting to own a piece of your work, you need to proceed with caution.  Take your time.  If you’ve responded to a potential buyer with your selling terms and they don’t appear to be listening, follow your instincts; if it feels funny, it likely is.

• Some like to ‘acquire’ well known sponsors - look at the logos - do they look like poor scans, outdated? Another tip-off that you should invest your time and money elsewhere.
•Artists need to be safe first … same as any kid on the internet – there are rules to follow for safety and you can’t just pay someone for a show that you have not checked out thoroughly.
•Check: torontocraftalert.blogspot.com/2008/03/crafty-biz-concerns-raised-re-toronto.html

WEBSITES:
There are active organizations more than willing to renew your domain name for an exhorbitant fee AND they send their invoice to your home. Check with your current provider to see why you are getting mail from someone else before you loose your money and waste your time.