There’s a moment many artists will recognise. An email arrives. Someone loves your work. Really loves it. And not only that — there’s a very real possibility of a sale.

Your heart leaps.

Of course it does. Artists aren’t just pleased when someone responds to their work — we’re moved by it. Being seen matters. Being chosen matters. And the idea that someone wants to live with your work (and pay you for it) is exciting.

Which is exactly why art scam emails can be so effective — especially at first glance.

I recently received a comment on my blog that did just that. It sounded flattering, sincere, and promising. However, I’ve seen this kind of appreciation many times now. Recalling my delight the first time I received an art scam email, it struck me that taking one apart might make a useful Studio Musing.

Here’s the comment, exactly as it arrived. (I didn’t publish it — best not to give credence to the scam.)

The message

My name is Jim Kaufman from Portland, Oregon, I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to our wedding anniversary which is just around the corner. I stormed on to some of your works which I found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit you’re doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do.

With that being said, I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of work, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $1000 to $10,000.

I look forward to reading from you in order to know more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept checks as a means of payment.

Best Regards,
Jim Kaufman

At first glance? Flattering. Promising. Worth replying to.

But once the initial excitement settles, it’s worth doing what artists do best: slowing down and looking again. Watch for the signs that this is an art scam.

Reading between the lines

Here are the details that quietly give this away.

1. Glowing praise — but nothing specific

The message is complimentary, even effusive. But it doesn’t mention a single piece, subject, or theme. No indication of what actually caught the writer’s attention.

Genuine interest almost always includes something specific.

2. Personal details without relationship

A full name and city feel grounding — ah, a real person. But when that information isn’t followed by anything contextual or human, it functions more like a label than a connection.

Identity without relationship is a clue.

3. The special-occasion storyline

An upcoming wedding anniversary. A surprise gift. Something “just around the corner.”

These details create warmth and urgency — and subtly discourage hesitation. They’re also extremely common in art scam emails.

4. Asking for what’s already available

Requests for images, sizes, and prices — when that information already exists on say your website — suggest a wide net rather than a considered choice. Also, supposedly, they’ve already seen your work somewhere!

It’s fishing, not selecting.

5. A budget range that fits almost anyone

A span from $1,000 to $10,000 sounds generous, but it’s also vague enough to work on artists at many stages of their career.

Real buyers tend to ask about the price of a specific piece, or share a much narrower range.

6. Language that feels slightly off

Referring to artwork as “pieces of inventory” is subtle, but telling. It’s wording that sounds odd in a direct conversation with an artist, whose work — whether paintings, drawings, sculpture, or jewellery — would usually be referred to as such, eg “your paintings.”

7. The cheque question

This is the biggest red flag of all.

Cheque-based overpayment scams are still very much in circulation. The mechanics vary, but the outcome is the same: money that appears, then disappears — often after you’ve refunded a “difference.”

This question alone is reason enough to disengage.

8. Not addressed to you

No name. No reference to recent work. No sign that the sender knows who they’re actually writing to.

That absence speaks loud and clear!

Before we move on, it’s worth remembering that real enquiries do exist — and they feel very different.

So what does a legitimate enquiry usually look like?

To balance things out — because genuine enquiries do exist — here’s what real interest often includes:

• A reference to something specific: a particular piece, subject, blog post, or recent exhibition
  
• Language that sounds human — natural, slightly imperfect, sometimes a bit rambling, and with some enthusiasm
  
• A focused request, such as:
  
  • “Is this piece still available?”
    
  • “What is the size and price?”
    
  • “Do you ship internationally?”
    
• Pricing questions that relate to something already seen on say a website
  
• Modern, unremarkable payment expectations (credit card, PayPal, bank transfer) and rarely raised upfront
  
• And importantly: you’re addressed as a person — your name is used, and your work is clearly known

A helpful gut-check is this:

 A genuine enquiry feels like a conversation already in progress — not a generic message designed to work on any artist who replies.

This is about discernment

If you’ve ever felt that initial lift followed by disappointment when an enquiry turned out not to be real, you’re not naïve. You’re human.

Visibility attracts attention of all kinds. If you think about it, it’s kind of a sign that you are doing the right thing and getting your work out there!

Learning to recognise art scam emails isn’t about hardening yourself or distrusting every compliment. It’s about trusting your instincts, slowing down, and being observant — the same skills you bring to your studio practice every day.

When a real enquiry arrives — and they do — it feels different. Grounded. Specific. Human.

Your heart will leap then too.
And then it will land on solid ground — and, hopefully, a sale.

Over to you

If you’ve received art scam emails like this — or one that almost convinced you — you’re not alone.

Do you remember your first scam email? Have you had an art scam enquiry that felt unsettlingly real? Or a moment when reading one of these types of emails when something didn’t quite sit right?

Share your experience in the comments so we can all benefit from your experience.

Until next time,

~ Gail 

PS. Who are these people??

PPS. And finally, a small thank you to Mr Jim Kaufman of Portland, Oregon. It turns out something good can come from art scam emails after all. Your comment didn’t result in a sale — but it did result in a blog post. I’ll call that a win.