I'm Mary Moore, I came across your artwork while search for creative artworks.
I have looked through your website,I came across some beautiful painting at your home page, I am interested in the purchase of your painting, i must say you really doing a great job, i will like to buy this creative artwork to beatify our New Apt. What is the price of the painting?

The above letter was received by a New Zealand artist. It is a shameless scam so consider yourself forewarned.

Image: Still from the classic film of artful theft, Robert Bresson's Pickpocket, 1959
I'm Mary Moore, I came across your artwork while search for creative artworks.
I have looked through your website,I came across some beautiful painting at your home page, I am interested in the purchase of your painting, i must say you really doing a great job, i will like to buy this creative artwork to beatify our New Apt. What is the price of the painting?

The above letter was received by a New Zealand artist. It is a shameless scam so consider yourself forewarned.

Image: Still from the classic film of artful theft, Robert Bresson's Pickpocket, 1959
I am presently in USA now travelling to South Africa to supervise my family house project.

On the payment, I would be glad to pay you with American express Traveler's Express

Please do not hesitate to contact me on how we can proceed.

Greetings,
Regards
Mrs Moore

--
Mary Moore
ma_ozone@fastmail.co.uk

Correspondence with the freight company ensues...
Good Ma,
We have being contacted by Mrs Mary Moore that we should get in touch with you for the pick up of some artworks and ship them on board with some of her house decors to her new home next week when you have her payment,as she
advise.
Sir/Ma,we will like you to give us the sizes and weight of those artworks she wants to ship so as to calculate the cost of picking them from your place and shipping them with her decors .
Moreover we will apprceiate if you could send us the address we will pick up the items from
Thank you.
David
For AOL shipping Limited

Then a counterfeit bank draft is forwarded and the artist is asked to suddenly pay cash online for the freight charges.

Here are a couple of web pages that have lots of similar scams,

www.britisharts.co.uk

www.artcalendar.com