Photo purchasing scam?

[evacguy]

I've just been approached by someone on INSTAGRAM who claims they want to purchase some of my 'architecture pictures'. He says he collects digital artworks as an NFT. I appreciate this must be a scam, but any idea how it works? He has contacted me via a comment on one of my INSTAGRAM photographs, so it is all in the public domain. I can see who the guy is, or who he pretends to be, and on the surface he looks legit - the best scammers do! I'm interested to know how the scam works. Any ideas?

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

You should tell him you have a special going at the moment, naked pictures of yourself are half price till midnight tonight..!

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

I've never had any form of social media. This forum is the first and only time I've ever been involved in anything like that.

 

[Landshark99]

Sometimes the scam is to offer to buy your images for say $2,000 dollars, you are very flattered and say yes, the scammer then sends you say $2,400, within a short time they let you know they made a mistake and overpaid you. They ask nicely for you to refund the difference, you agree and send them the $400. As soon as they receive it they cancel the original transaction for whatever reason and then they withdraw their funds from the deal and you are left with having sent them $400.

 

[Gaz]

Sometimes the scam is to offer to buy your images for say $2,000 dollars, you are very flattered and say yes, the scammer then sends you say $2,400, within a short time they let you know they made a mistake and overpaid you. They ask nicely for you to refund the difference, you agree and send them the $400. As soon as they receive it they cancel the original transaction for whatever reason and then they withdraw their funds from the deal and you are left with having sent them $400.

Well, I’d be 2400 better off if that’s how it works. The extra $400 was a bonus, your honour!

 

[Gaz]

I've just been approached by someone on INSTAGRAM who claims they want to purchase some of my 'architecture pictures'. He says he collects digital artworks as an NFT. I appreciate this must be a scam, but any idea how it works? He has contacted me via a comment on one of my INSTAGRAM photographs, so it is all in the public domain. I can see who the guy is, or who he pretends to be, and on the surface he looks legit - the best scammers do! I'm interested to know how the scam works. Any ideas?

It will involve you clicking on a link at some point to make the transfers or fill in details, hoping to key log your pin. Bank account details and they’re only going to need some other common identifiers to clone you and set up an account with the Bank of England. Next thing you know, you are the person interpol want to interview about the cash deposits and withdrawals in an account you knew nothing about.

Or, maybe they really like your architectural shots. Ask them to pay in Apple gift cards.

 

[Jeff A]

You should tell him you have a special going at the moment, naked pictures of yourself are half price till midnight tonight..!

Clint, you just spoiled my lunch!

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

You should tell him you have a special going at the moment, naked pictures of yourself are half price till midnight tonight..!

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

Clint, you just spoiled my lunch!

My job here is done!

 

[AlphaWorld]

Well, I’d be 2400 better off if that’s how it works. The extra $400 was a bonus, your honour!

No - the original transaction will be fraudulent, and you’ll have lost the “refund”.

That particular scam used to involve them sending you a cheque that would bounce - I knew a model who was sent one of those cheques to cover flights, and was asked to send the overpayment to another account “to cover wardrobe” - she lost several hundred dollars.

I don’t know how they work it with digital payments, but I am sure they can.

 

[-ST-]

I've just been approached by someone on INSTAGRAM who claims they want to purchase some of my 'architecture pictures'. He says he collects digital artworks as an NFT. I appreciate this must be a scam, but any idea how it works? He has contacted me via a comment on one of my INSTAGRAM photographs, so it is all in the public domain. I can see who the guy is, or who he pretends to be, and on the surface he looks legit - the best scammers do! I'm interested to know how the scam works. Any ideas?

Ed,
I don't do much with Instagram, but I found this using Google.

NFT scams directed towards artists on Instagram - The Artsology Blog

I have an Instagram account for my paintings, which is a separate endeavor from Artsology, and in the past couple of days, I’ve received several suspicious direct messages from […]

artsology.com

Try doing a search for +NFT +Instagram +Scam

Please be careful.

 

[evacguy]

Ed,
I don't do much with Instagram, but I found this using Google.

NFT scams directed towards artists on Instagram - The Artsology Blog

I have an Instagram account for my paintings, which is a separate endeavor from Artsology, and in the past couple of days, I’ve received several suspicious direct messages from […]

artsology.com

Try doing a search for +NFT +Instagram +Scam

Please be careful.

Many thanks ST, that was a good link. It felt like a scam right from the start, so I wasn't going to pursue it, I just wanted to have some idea of how it worked so I could inform others. While the vast majority of people are decent, there are some really disgusting people out there, I really feel for those caught out by these low lifes.

 

[MrFotoFool]

What is an NFT?

 

[AlphaWorld]

What is an NFT?

a Non Fungible Token - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-f...non-fungible token (NFT,to be sold and traded.

 

[evacguy]

a Non Fungible Token - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fungible_token#:~:text=A non-fungible token (NFT,to be sold and traded.

Thanks Tony. Fred, the way I understand it, the NFT is like a certificate (token) stating that the holder of the NFT owns the 'Original' digital image, and everyone else just has a copy of the image. The concept of owning the original of a digital image has some value to some people. The NFT is part of a blockchain and cannot be duplicated, so there is only one NFT associated with the item in question. Photographers can tokenise their work and offer total or partial ownership. For example, OpenSea user erubes1 has an "Ocean Intersection" collection of beautiful ocean and surfing photos with several sales and owners.

Since my original post, I have been approached by another person wanting to purchase the NFT associated with some of my other photographs on INSTAGRAM. I am assuming that this is all a scam and somehow I will have to pass over some cash to someone somewhere to instagate the transaction. So I'm ignoring all these requests.

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

Hi Ed,
I don't think you are unique in this regard, there are many scammers scouring instagram
and i have also been approached on a number of occasions.

Tony's article says it all as regards the risky nature of NFT's and significantly reduced value of the
NFT market over the recent past.

Maybe at some point in the future NFT's will be put on a firmer, more legitimate footing, but at this
point in time not only are photographers on Instagram open to scams but equally at this time the NFT
market is a very risky investment.

I think "Caveat Emptor" is the appropriate cautionary term in this regard.......