Hong Kong Horror Scam
Art lovers and would-be speculators in Wellington, New Zealand have periodically found themselves duped by ne’r-do-wells posing as struggling, up-and-coming European artists selling mass-produced Asian oil paintings around the city. Dozens of people buy these cheap knock offs (known as “Hong Kong horrors”) for $200 every week. The scammers are believed to have made thousands of dollars over recent years.
In one example an Austrian backpacker claiming to be an art student showed a victim a portfolio of about 10 paintings which he said were painted by struggling art students from all over Europe. He claimed small percentage of any sale and the rest went back to the artists. The victim bought an abstract painting for his wife and made out a cash check for $200. He was able to get his money back when he discovered the truth, but that is a rare outcome for this art scam.
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