Instagram’s most popular art scam, where a scammer pretending to be an artist contacts you and asks to use your photos for a painting, mural or work of fine art has made its way to TikTok. I was contacted by the account in the photo below, which has already been shut down, but if there’s one, then you know there are more!

This may have been happening on TikTok for a while, but I have a smaller account there, so scammers aren’t trying as hard to get it. The accounts that send out the requests are often real artist accounts that have been hacked, so don’t be fooled even if they look legit.

How Does the Art Scam Work?

This scam’s main way to take your money is through check fraud. They will tell you that they will send you money for your photos, but the check will be for more than the “bonus” you are promised.

They will request that you deposit the check and then send them the extra money to be used for supplies, while you get to keep the rest.

Unfortunately, the check they send is real enough to actually be deposited, but your bank will soon uncover the check fraud and you’ll be liable for that money, and possibly get a fee from the bank for depositing a fake check. You won’t be getting a painting or any of your money back either.

What to Do If You Deposit the Check

If you read my other article on this: I Want to Use Your Photos for Mural or Painting and Steal Your Money and check the comments, you’ll see HUNDREDS of people that have gotten scammed! Many only get suspicious after they deposit the check.

So, what do you do if you’ve deposited a fraudulent check? Don’t panic, but immediately call your bank and let them know what happened. They will put a freeze on the check funds, and this will prevent you from getting hit with any bank fees.

Next, you’ll want to block the scammer on everything possible before they catch on that you aren’t sending them any money. Do not continue communication or they will get very nasty and threatening. Many people have commented that they’ve gotten death threats to the point of the scammers sending photos of dead bodies. It can get pretty scary!

The person who contacted me on Instagram sent me all kinds of threats, said the FBI was coming after me, that they would ruin my bank accounts and I’d never be able to get a job or a bank account again. Obviously, they were just empty threats from a desperate scammer.

Be Careful with Any Account You Don’t Know

Always be suspicious when any account from someone you don’t know, on any platform, contacts you and asks you for something. Whether it’s help logging back into their account, or using your photos for something like this one, you can never be too careful.

About the Author

Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.

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