Love these scams

[Raymond L. Fenio]

Eventually $ money!

[Geert]

That's not scam: it was not written in CAPITALS!

G

[medform-norm]

For more on the Nigerian scammers, you can always go and look at http://www.419eater.com/ - (warning: some photos are not fit for minors) - the 419eater may be in parts very British in his sense of humor, it's still intruiging to see someone spend so much time on such an obscure hobby. BTW: I love the latest woodcarvings he has the Nigerians produce for him

[Michael Gudzinowicz]

This doesn't seem slick enough to be part of the long running scam that's netted over $100,000,000.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/nigeria.asp

You always can reply to a mass emailing from an anonymous account, run them in circles, and insist payment was made to a slightly different account to create the impression that someone on their end is ripping them off. That's an old net counter-tactic.

[Dean Tomasula]

I hate to burst your bubble guys, but these people probably haven't even seen your artwork (not that Kirk's work isn't first rate, it is). You are just an email address on a list to them. They know the list was culled from photographer's web sites, so they say how wonderful your work is without ever really seeing it. That's why its called a scam.

[Alec Jones]

Do take a look at the 419eater.com site. Those Brits are simply wicked! They SCAM the scammers - actually getting them to pay money instead of receive it. It will make your day.

[Jim Rhoades]

Kirk, A while back you wrote about how you know that you have "arrived" in ones pursuit of photography. Well, this is how. You have reached the big time, better than a one man MOMA show. Nigeria, international.

[Paul Metcalf]

My last three (unsuccessful) bid attempts on fleabay have netted follow-up emails on "Second Chance" opportunity (one netted three different emails, and all have had the same email address at least once). In an unrelated transaction, I was curious about specific Western Union questions, and their security enlightened me that this particular scam originates in the UK and has now been copied. The emails are exactly the same, almost as if there is a market out there to buy scam material (must be, as there are scam conventions).

[Kirk Gittings]

Jim, I had that thought too. It doesn't get any better than a knowledgeable international dealer thinking that your work is "suitable and beautiful" "artwrok".

[Bruce Watson]

Kirk,

I've seen and heard about variations on this scam for three or four years. Since I wasn't actively looking for them I can only assume that it's older still. It's yet another variant in the family of "Nigerian scams" of which there are more than one can count.

Just like there are only a handful of themes for plays (many of them date to the ancient Greeks) that get recycled, refreshed, and renewed with each generation, so too are 'net scams.

I'm thinking, BTW, of updating my website to the correct new spelling of "artwrok" as it looks right to me. Ain't a little dyslexia grnad?