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Post by potatostamp on Apr 23, 2010 11:45:42 GMT -8
Anyone else get this email from Francesco LoCastro- this seems really suspicious for some reason.... anyone confirm it's really him??
I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,i came down here to London,England for a short vacation to visit a resort and got mugged at gun point last night at the park of the hotel where i lodged.All cash,credit cards and cell were stolen off me.I've been to the U.S embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all,my flight leaves today and I'm having problems settling the hotel bills.
The hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the hotel bills(1,450pounds) now am freaked out.Please reply and let me if can you have the money wire to me through western union i promise to pay back as soon as i get back home.
Thanks
Francesco
francescolocastro@mac.com
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Post by potatostamp on Apr 23, 2010 12:01:09 GMT -8
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Post by sleepboy on Apr 23, 2010 12:09:12 GMT -8
So there is a real Francesco LoCastro that you know?
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Post by potatostamp on Apr 23, 2010 12:16:32 GMT -8
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Post by svenman on Apr 23, 2010 12:43:04 GMT -8
thanks for the scam tip off jeff. sucks for francesco this happened. did you let him know, because by following the link you posted and reading it seems that whoever hacked his email has probably changed his mail settings so that he doesn't know about this unless someone actually calls him rather than emails.
on a similar note, i read this on blaine fontana's blog recently about a different form of scam, but it's worth spreading the word...
I was very close to becoming victim of an art buying scam
last week i was very close to being scammed for thousands of dollars. someone expressed interest in buying one of my pieces, coincidently, it was available, for the right price and right person. he had written the title, and all other pertinent information in the email. the check was mailed and things were smoothly moving forward. when the check arrived i let the buyer know, and thats when the weirdness started. first, my gut felt the check was shaky to the touch and look. second, when he(or she, or an entire not a very nice person collective, who fucking knows)found out the check arrived i was instructed with a bunch of eccentric shipping directions and the check had been written for twice the amount. he had instructed to wire the extra money to his "shipper" through western union. he claimed he was moving to london and had a family friend taking care of all his moving affairs.
thats the scam, and kinda clever. you take your cut for the sale of the piece after the check clears and wire the rest. several days later your fucked and the confidence man now has a wad of cleaned cash.
fortunately, my bank is very aggressive with holding checks and verifying funds over several days. my manager was on this every day with the bank making sure it was legit.
this is a new scam, art world beware!!! more info from artlanow.com:
Beware of Scammers contacting our Members
Beware Artlanow Members of scammers! We received today an email from one of our members who was contacted by “Stan.” Though we cannot read the replies written by artist Arline, the chain of messages she received reveal the stereotype temptations proffered by the fraudulent schemers who plague many of the internet sites exhibiting art for sale. Member Arline wrote:
I have had email messages from a "Stan Thomas" with an inquiry about buying one of my paintings that is on artlanow website. It is a scam. He wants to send a certified check (I've heard that before), and pay the shipping himself to a foreign country. He didn't say which one. Asked for my address and phone number. I replied, saying that I’d never ever sell a piece to a buyer who did not see it personally. He answered to tell me his shipper would inspect it, and could I send my address and phone number. (Yeah, right). I haven't yet let on that I know it's a scam. I just may confuse him some more. I'll forward his messages to you. You'll note that his grasp of the English language is off. That was the first clue.
Use this information any way you think best. Happy New Year to All !! Arline
_______________________________
Hello, Good day to you over there, My name is Stan thomas and i hope this message finds you well.I was going through your works and my eyes caught...., i will like to have them for my new apartment this month. please let me know if the piece is available, if yes let me have the detailed price and more information about it. i will be waiting to read from you asap.
Kind Regards.
_____________________________
Thanks for the message, I am very happy to know that the Pieces is still available for sale. i must tell you i am very much interested in the immediate purchase.I will like to let you know that your payment will be in form of a Certified Check.You dont have to worry about packing, insurance and tax because my shipper will be in the best position to do that as soon as you get the payment.This is because i will be traveling out of the country any moment from now for a business proposal.So get back to me with the information needed to send you the payment I:E :
Full Name
Standard Address
Phone number
Asking price reconfirmation
__________________________________
so that i can proceed in the payment arrangement, consider it sold get back to me asap with needed information.
Thanks.
__________________________________
Its okay but i would have love to do this myself but due to my kind of job,my shipper will be the one to handle the whole of the pieces he will be coming to inspect it and at the same time picking it up for me. so do consider it sold and get back to me with your name and address with your phone # for me to proceed with the payment.
Will await your message. Stan.
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Post by jemappellekat on Apr 24, 2010 1:11:51 GMT -8
These don't just happen with art... all sorts of lending services, etc... Someone out there even knew that we were from Canada and I guess assumed that we severed ties with our banks here so we wouldn't verify cheques... and sometimes that cheques ARE REAL. But the accounts are cleaned out before you cash them. Or during - which is worse if you take an advance.
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kim
Junior Member
feedyoureye.com
Posts: 61
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Post by kim on Apr 25, 2010 7:35:01 GMT -8
I've gotten these kind of inquiries in the past. We used to have a thread on Art Dorks about art scams... everyone there had had some kind of scammer try to lure them into something dodgy.
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Post by subjective on Apr 28, 2010 0:21:27 GMT -8
I think his email was hacked by someone. I don't know Francesco LoCastro in person but I know of him as an active artist in South Florida. My email address has been in his database for a while and I get invitations to shows and etc. etc. all related to art.
So this time I opened the message just because it was from him.
Did any of you replied to it? Maybe I reply and see what he would say....
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Post by subjective on Apr 28, 2010 0:25:10 GMT -8
But... when I think of it, I know it's a scam and Francesco LoCastro didn't do it.
Because he is very active in art world in South Florida and know a lot of people. He cannot be emailing me when he doesn't even know me in person. If he really needed help he would ask his family and friends first.
I feel sorry that his email account was lacked....
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Post by subjective on Apr 28, 2010 0:55:57 GMT -8
Francesco LoCastro used to be in my Facebook network. Now I found out that his facebook account cannot be found. This guy is a real person who is based in south florida as an artist and also as a curator. Very active in art world.
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Post by potatostamp on Apr 28, 2010 9:05:45 GMT -8
Yes, he is a real person. I barely know the guy but he was way cool every time I have talked to him. If he was in this situation for real I would definitely try to help him somehow- probably not by sending him money, but by putting him in contact with London friends. But of course my BS detector was working correctly and it was a very suspicious letter. I actually did reply back to the email when I figured it was fake, I simply said:
Fuck off
Then I got all worried they would try to hack into MY email account! But I was pissed, they were playing with my emotions! I unfortunately don't have a phone number for Francesco, just his email which has been compromised. But I'm sure he knows it by now.
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