Every 6-8 months this purchasing scam resurfaces, where someone contacts by e-mail wanting to buy from your site or purchase some art. The message usually reads something like this:
"I will like to order some items from you and get it shipped to my place in Malta, also i will be paying via my credit card which was issued in the United states as this is the only available means of payment. I have a shipper which you'll contact regarding shipping that can get the items picked up from your location and deliver directly to my door step without hassle and i will also like to know the types of credit card you accept. Let me know if i am welcome to place an order."
Poor spelling and awkward language are often clues to a scam. The thought of a big sales is often pleasing, but the reality is not so good. The credit card number you’d get is probably inoperable, but you won’t find that out until after the delivery truck has carted off your wares.
Other buying scams: A recent article by arts attorney Bill Frazier (reprinted in the July/August State of the Arts [Montana]) cautioned against accepting cashier’s checks. Many counterfeit checks are showing up in the marketplace, and artists are very susceptible, since we often think of these checks as being $safe and not bogus. Payments by cashier's checks are also used by the e-mail scammers.
If you sell at art shows, you might want to visit your bank and pick up a copy of “Know Your Money,” which shows how to validate currency. I always get the jitters when someone hands me a C-note; if the purchase is less than $100.00, I usually say I don’t have change. More information is available online. A colleague recently told me about a pen that when you draw it over a bill, the color that shows will indicated if the bill is legit. I haven't followed up on this; but if it works, I'm all for it. I like to trust everyone, but some times that just isn't safe.
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