The Maryland State Arts Council Visual Artists’ Registry has recently received numerous reports of potentially fraudulent offers to purchase artwork. In particular, several artists have reported receiving fraudulent checks from overseas, most notably from London and Wales. It is important to note that these checks are often for more than the amount due with the “buyer” requesting that a check for the difference be sent along with the artwork. Although we are unable to verify the validity of specific offers, we would like to offer some quick tips for conducting artwork sales via email.

Tips for conducting artwork sales via email:

• Never give out personal information such as your social security number or bank account information.
• If someone contacts you inviting you to enter a call for entry for a fee, verify that the institution they are representing actually exists. If the institution has a website, try to find the name of the person who contacted you on their staff list. To verify the call, use the contact info for this person provided on the website as opposed to what you received in the email.
• Do not send funds to a potential buyer (regardless of whether they are for shipping costs or other expenses).
• Furthermore, be wary of requests for overpayment. Check overpayment is when a buyer offers to send a check for more than the amount due and asks you to write them a check for the difference.
• Do not ship artwork until your bank has confirmed that the check has cleared. Be aware that international checks may take two weeks or more to clear.