If you recently bought art from a charismatic art student selling his wares door-to-door, chances are you have been duped into buying a worthless piece that is mass produced in China.
A handsome young man with a French accent recently paid my parents a visit in Western Sydney, claiming to be an Israeli art student from the University of Jerusalem. He was carrying a portfolio which he said contained the work of he and his fellow students. Despite the work being unremarkable, my parents – always eager to support the arts – were willing to part with $120.00 for an oil painting depicting two boats docked against a wooden pier.
“These sell in galleries for $1,500” he said cheerfully. While this shyster was still in my parents’ living room, I was summoned to offer my opinion of the work.
The ‘art student’ presented me with some of the pieces in his portfolio – a tree, some generic abstracts, a scene of the Eiffel Tower. Each of the artworks had an associated back story – the tree was apparently a ‘burning bush’, representing the first time God communicated with Moses. The oil painting of the two boats symbolised the hope of peace between Israel and Palestine. They were just boats. I immediately recalled a story a colleague had shared only weeks earlier, who knew someone who fell for a similar scam. In his case, the ‘art student’ was a French man named Pierre, and the victim only discovered afterwards that the art was mass produced in Chinese sweatshops for $3 apiece.
“I don’t like any of them.” I said, before retreating. I quickly Googled ‘Israeli art scam’ and was presented with plenty of accounts of similar stories. Luckily I was able to tell my mother in time – so she wrote out a cheque instead of paying cash. As soon as this trickster left, she contacted the bank and cancelled the cheque.
These people are conducting fraudulent business – they sell cheap Chinese rip-offs to people who believe they are supporting art students. Anyone is at risk of falling prey to these swindlers, including the elderly and the vulnerable.
It’s time to close the door on these art scams!
Related Links
Israeli art student scam in Melbourne?
Chinese Oil Paintings for Wholesale – the origin of the paintings
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
They are everywhere. I had a young man come around last night at 7:00pm. My wife looked through the paintings for approximately 15 minutes (and that signals bad news for my wallet).
She called me out and the young man introduced himself as an artist from Russia selling art works completed by him and other struggling artist. I asked if they were originals and he said they were. He even told me how many layers each one was and where each artist was from. I asked which ones were his, and he told me it would be biased to disclose this.
My wife had selected 4 paintings for $95, $105, $135 and $145. Total $480. I asked him if he would take $300 for the 4 and without pausing said yes. I paid by cheque!!!
After he left I Googled ‘door to door art’ and found many forums such as this. I contacted the local police who mentioned that the sellers are being investigated by Crime Stoppers and themselves for fraud and unlicensed selling, In Australia there must be a contract when selling door-to-door and a 10 day cooling off period. I quickly cancelled my cheque. And will return the paintings to the man if/when he returns.
Don’t get me wrong, my wife loves the paintings but it was the blatant lies and the scheming done by these people that changed my mind about giving them money. I did a search this morning and found all 4 paintings online; 2 from Mexico and 2 from china. Even with posting it is cheaper. And paid with PayPal so guaranteed to be what I paid for i.e. beautiful oil painting REPRODUCTIONS.
The scam has hit a tiny town in Belgium called Achel.
We had an Israli young good looking girl at our door too tryig to sell art. I didnt let her in although she was really pushing to come in anyway. My neighbour however did let her in and sold a picture. Luckily she checked out the website and ran outside to catch the girl and asked for her money back which she did get. Surely these art students would go to big towns and not to tiny little towns to sell their stuff (if it’s real and unique). What a waste of time for everyone to have to put up with these people. V
Very annoying !
Regards, Ant
P.S. she wasn’t able to present a student card which is also already strange …
…and today they are in Veerle-Laakdal ( belgium). Same story, same scam. We are happy we only bought a small painting.
We found out about this scam a bit too late.
Lesson learned. Ugly thiefs with nice and friendly faces!
In the late 1970’s, there was a rather large man named Malcolm McCarthy who ran a shadowy art door-to-door selling business out of a house in Cremorne Street Richmond. The place was near the intersection of Swan Street and next to a brothel. McCarthy lived in Glen Iris. He instructed his door-to-door salesmen to say the paintings were originals by a West Australian artist named Neil Jamieson, but in fact they were mass produced somewhere in Asia. The same paintings were sold over and over again and the naive salesmen blitzed certain suburbs in groups at night. The paintings sold for $55 or $75 each depending on the size; a lot of money in those days. It was discovered the paint used was in cheap (house?) oil paint, painted on cheap canvas. This scam went on for a few years. There are probably thousands of these paintings on homes of unsuspecting buyers. I should know – I was one of the salesmen and to this day I am ashamed of having ripped off my fellow man and inadvertently telling lies to people. I ended up quitting in disgust. It was a dark time in my past and a black mark on me.
I would be interested if anyone knows any more about what happened to the business (it was relocated to upmarket South Yarra in a bid to get new recruits), and what became of McCarthy. I am also interested to know if there ever was a famous Australian artist named Neil Jamieson, and if there is anyone out there who bought these paintings. I can still remember the paintings, 30 years on.
Since those days when I was a unsuspecting scam merchant 32 years ago I have been very cautious of scammers and door-to-door salesmen except maybe the Salvos, and even then I am wary. Moreover I hate people invading my privacy just as I did to others in the late 1970’s.
I should add the actual year I sold the scam paintings was 1977.
Well, these fools have made it to Austin, TX area now. An Israeli gal knocked on my door late last night. I didn’t buy anything and then was sent this link by a neighbor today. Phew.
[...] [...]
To the people to “buy” the paintings and then cancel the check after the seller leaves – sounds like YOU’RE the scammers. You got your art for free.
Kim, we didn’t get free art, we got free garbage. So we threw it in the bin, where garbage belongs!
This whole thread is just a racist attack against israel and its people. Its aim is to marganalise support for Israel in the west.
you should all be ashamed of yourselves
I don’t think the fact that these people mention they are israelis has anything to do with racism… they could say they are French…
We just had a girl show up here with the whole struggling student sob story…
very pushy and didn’t want to leave without at least an opinion from us ***hahaha***
we enjoyed our afternoon coffee listening(and giggling) to the morons next door tell her how much they liked all the pretty colours***HAHAHHAA***
I briefly worked for a company that worked this way– in 1989 as a desperate student in London. They were a big company– lots of money and had started in Australia originally. They hired desperate foreigners and we were supposed to say that the work was by friends of ours. It turned out that I was pretty bad at selling bad art. Strange to read that they (or someone just like them) are still going strong.
The lovely French guy was in our Perth home last night around dinner time. I should have told him to go away but he was so polite. He talked about the pieces he’d painted and we took a liking to a couple of Paris paintings. He wanted $250 each and finally sold it to us for $200 each. Trustingly we bought two paintings. After reading this website, I believe we should always trust our first instinct as it’s usually right. My dad did say that we bought the paintings for the paintings not because the French guy painted it. Hope that helps others who are also trusting like us.
same… in Perth. My partner and I found out his name and what Backpackers he and his partner in crime have been staying. His name is Vincent Brissaud! Beware Perth people! Aurthorities are useless in chasing this gut up.
In Kalgoorlie, and it was a swede. Unfortunately his phone rang and the van driver was down the road waiting for him to finish the sale. Students don’t usually gather in vans and ‘canvas’ whole suburbs.. so we moved him on.
We live in Hornsby Heights, Sydney. Thankyou Daisy (if that is your real name?) and her ‘team leader’ for scamming us. We are not usually that gullable but it was late on Saturday night and we were tired. $600 later… I don’t care where you come from, I don’t back pack in other countries scamming it’s citizens. What awful guests you are. Your visas should be revoked!!!
Yep, Jerome from Paris just hit Brisbane 4073. Said paintings “took him about 14 hours to do!”. Wow, the descriptions of “I started painting that one to classical music & ended with jazz”, “I lived with a Moroccan family & painted this on” – hilarious now, only beacuse we weren’t taken but how can anyone stand there soo straight faced & lie to one’s face is something I will NEVER understand…
Just been visited in Western Sydney home. Same speil. Who brings them out to the Suburbs? There has to be a middle man telling them where to go.
To Nat (three posts ago) i live in Westleigh and we were also visited by ‘Daisy’- I was going to try and give her a call tomorrow to rectify the problem. I was wondering if you had tried this (or perhaps the number she has left with us is fake?)
The Israli scammer ’schlomy’ is now in New Zealand – knocking on the doors of suburban Wellington. So annoyed that we were roped into the story of the struggling international students – oh well, at least the painting is inoffensive.
This evening I just narrowly avoided paying installments on a painting of Paris, Eiffel tower (black & white/grey with a red tree). His name was ‘Uri’, a very pleasant guy who was very keen to come back later to get his sale. I got suspicious when I asked to knock-down the price from $180 to $150 and his banter on the phone to his supervisor was tell-tale ‘…yes, yes I know it’s money to help us students, but these people have a young family….’ blah-blah. I did like the painting but don’t like to be scammed!!! >:(
Same story here in Wellington, NZ… Leon, an Israeli “art student” actually sold me the Eiffel Tower with red tree, as well as one of Santorini – both for $400. Later, I googled and found lots of similar stories. Maybe not a “scam” but a bit of a rip-off. Seems to be a way of lots of young people finance their travels without needing to get a work permit.
What annoys me is that the Police say it’s legal. That may be true (and in hindsight I feel like a complete tool), but this scam needs to be headlined in the papers so that others are aware of it. A quick chat with colleagues revealed that at least 3 others have been approached by the same guy in the past month.
It is not legal. It is an offence to misrepresent a product or use deception to make a sale, which is precisely what has been done to you. Further, the law- at least in nsw- allows you 5 days to change your mind regarding door to door sales. When i called the police they were sympathetic and took my report but admitted no detectives were looking into the case so my story was just kind of added to a pile of stories :(
Yeah, they were doing the rounds in Kellyville tonight, I bought 2 for $300… trying to stop the payment now over the internet… I just didn’t feel comfortable… also the guy was quite sneaky taking a look at the property… quite dodgey… I’d be concerned about these guys also scouting the area for opportunities to steal
My mother and grandmother fell for a similar scam in Brisbane more than 15 years ago. It still bugs me (hence why I googled this forum) as I was there but too young and innocent to know better!
They guy was Indian and sweet-talked my anglo-indian grandmother into parting with hundreds of dollars from her tiny savings.
Probably different people, but the same scam. I think they had a 60 Minutes report on it years ago.
I manage this job… If u like it, take it. If u don’t like it.. we leave. That’s just the way it is. We are not pushing u. What if we come and say :”hi, here is some chinese paintings, would u like to give us your opinion, and buy it for 250$?” no way. that’s quit the same when u go to buy some nike shoes… u know it and buy it anyway… just take it easy and… les bobos, les bobos !! ;op
We got ripped off last night. Still kicking ourselves, all in all the girl (French, supposedly) did a good job of fooling us. We bought one painting for $250. We feel stupid and violated. I’ve reported it to the police but there’s not a lot they can do. I’m now on a mission to ‘out’ these crooks and make sure they meet what’s coming to them.
Just had “Jeremy” from “Paris” at our door (Wembley, Perth) with the same schtick.
Charming, attractive, puppy dog eyes. Had a look at his stuff, some interesting abstracts and a whole lotta crap.
Offered him $100 for one once I had checked out his studios website for bona fides, which he refused.
I think they’re concentrating their efforts on folks like me who haven’t got their spouses a Xmas present yet….
An man and lady came around bella vista in NSW today and did the same thing. Same story as above from the girl abt heading towards New Zealand after Australia. Both had tanned skins, and had a very well prepared speech abt each piece of art they are selling. We forgot the name of the girl but the guy claimed to be Ron and we’ve gotten his mobile number too. I guess most people didn’t feel good paying $100 or sometimes more for a piece of mass produced art and knowing that the cost was much much less.
We’re all swarmed with replicas, reproductions, fakes from overseas markets (NOT just this art) and many of us are not aware of how cheap it is to buy it from China, India etc. Increasingly more things we consume nowadays have been produced in one way or another in low-cost countries. Where there’s buyers in the market for these items, there will be sellers.
If you like it, buy them for a price you feel willing to pay for it. If you have been deceived to believe these are real, you prob learn from this experience to be more cautious in the future. Unless these people are up to no good, getting into your place to check out what you own and robbing it after, i wouldn’t really be concerned. These people are all over your neighbourhood in any case, and everyone will recognise their faces if something bad were to come outta this.
Yep… Got sucked in myself tonight by a French Student. I then got a little suspicious and googled mass produced oil reproductions and found the exact same pictureon a aout 4 websites one of them art4all.eu. Paid by cash cheque so will ring the bank to cancel!
James look like i got done by the same guy in Hawthorn tonight.
I’m in Hawthorn also said he was going to Sydney tomorrow… I wonder why!
This is also happening around Perth. Very similar scenario to the above, albeit ‘French’ student just came to my door and showed me his portfolio and offering to sell paintings for $250!
I just had a young attractive women claiming to be an Israeli art student knock on my door and go through a whole portfolio of art said to be done by other students. She had a thick French accent, blue eyes and blonde hair. So I doubt she was Israeli.
She said she is selling them at 10% of the price they would get at an art gallary.
I am in Western Sydney, near Parramatta
Daniel, The fact that she had a “french” accent means quite certainly she was Israeli, it is very easy to confuse the french and israeli accents if you havent heard many israelis speak.
Hopefully you didnt get stung!
Residents of Southern River Perth beware. There is an Israeli girl by the name of Ronny with her partner in crime – a supposde supervisor named Josh doing their rounds. Ronny knocked on my door last Friday with a portfolio of paintings. I liked a few and asked her to return on Sunday so my husband could see them. We agreed to purchase two with a small one thrown in for free for $950/-. Fortunately for us our internet was not connected, so I told them I would do a bank transfer from work the next day. Some sixth sense drove me to google the internet, and it was with a sense of deja vu that I began reading similar experiences of other people. I called Ronny today and told her we had the artwork checked and was advised they were not worth the money and wanted to return same. She said she would pick up same after checking with her supervisor and I’m still waiting for her to pick up same.
We had an Israelian guy over this afternoon.. We were really happy with the painting we got and since we were looking for a new painting in our living room we looked, liked and bought one. We’re still happy with it! But it feels kinda weird that on the internet everyone is like Beware! Don’t buy it! That just gives a bad swing to the whole story!
We bought a couple of paintings from one of these “scammers”, but we paid very little, and are happy with what we got. It’s all a matter of perspective I guess. I really don’t like buying limited edition prints, which to my thinking are simply good quality posters.
I had a supposed young French student come to my house in Brisbane and show me his artwork however he just asked for my opinion. He claimed that a bunch of students were wanting to put on an exhibition. He didn’t try to sell me one at all (which is what I was expecting). I told him I was a student so maybe he felt bad about that?
I had this smoking hot girl come to the house last night trying to sell oil paintings. Her story was that she with 4 other artiest trying to work up enough cash to support a store front downtown in Austin, TX. The painting weren’t bad, but they were not of Bob Ross quality. So I declined to buy any. They here in south Texas ya all! lol
Just had two Israeli design students selling oil paintings visiting. I did find some paintings I liked, and we were working out the particulars. They made me a special offer, around 50% off list price, but as I had to pay online up front, I thought I’d google first, buy later. I would settle for ONE positive review, but couldn’t find one. So I told them that my google results looked bad for them, and kindly asked them to leave, which they did. Just an after thought -a bit suspicious that one of them didn’t know the rule of thirds in composition, being a “design student” and all.
Denmark
Franklin, Canberra, Australia. Got ripped off yesterday. 3 ripoffs for 250. I realised they were cons after they left. They claimed to be art students but never even looked at all the paintings on my walls. Generally I’m suspicious, but hey who doesn’t want to help a ‘few poor arts students’. Anyway will tell police and have a bonfire.
I just had a visit from one of these guys and googled it straight away… The artwork looks amazing and he even let me touch the artwork to feel the texture etc. He told me each painting was created by different art students around the world. He then asked if i wanted to buy one and said they are all $150. I said i don’t have any cash on me and prefer to buy online and asked if there was a website i could visit. He said the company is very new so the only way to contact is through email or mobile phone. I live south of Sydney by the way.
These dodgy ‘French Art Students’ are doing the rounds at The Gap in Brisbane at the moment. Twice in two days, and same time last year. I don’t even bother opening the door to them anymore.
seems they are out and about in Brisbane..I had a ‘french’ girl student last night trying to sell paintings for $250 each and my son had a young guy turn up at his place. Clayfield area at present.
i think that this art work this guys are selling is very nice. the are trying to make a couple of dallers.
the art is nice?
Are you the biggest fool on the planet or do you work for these slimey bastards?
get a real job.