Beware of the Israeli Art Scam in Canberra

JhonnyComeLately said :

Folks, This is still happening in Canberra, especially Gungahlin and other newly built up areaarea, I know a recent victim last week of December 2011. People of newly built up suburbs,they are targeting you, please be careful. I wonder why police is letting this happen?!!!. Well you have been warned.

And what crime is it that they committing requiring the police to be involved? When I last checked there was no legislation covering stupidity.

Folks, This is still happening in Canberra, especially Gungahlin and other newly built up areaarea, I know a recent victim last week of December 2011. People of newly built up suburbs,they are targeting you, please be careful. I wonder why police is letting this happen?!!!. Well you have been warned.

I think it’s really unfair actually- I bet they’ve just been framed.
X.X

I just looked through this thread and clicked on the link to the sunset picture. Yuk!

Hate to ressurect an old post, but just had Kevin from some art school in Paris hawking.

I sent him and his authentic accent on his way.

A year and a week later… Hmmm…

having worked as a door to door sales guy (hangs head in shame) I always ask to see their hawker’s license. no license, no joy.

OK, 1 last post. Immigration were not interested in the working without a visa thing – apparently students CAN work 20 hours a week on their visa. They were interested in the fraud.

The email address for everyone, if you get any information about these guys is : fraudnsw@immi.gov.au

OK, now I will really let it go.

re: TAD post #35

Yes, I feel better just being scammed rather than being robbed, and the painting is quite nice – still feel like a sucker though. I am going to message the guy on Facebook just to see what happens.

I do wonder why they bother getting my name and phone number though, on the pretense that a framer will call me up…

Fair Trading knew what I was talking about as soon as I said “door-to-door” and mentioned something about maybe issuing a press release. I also sent them a screenshot of the guy’s Facebook page.

I have also investigating reporting the Israeli guy to Immigration, as suggested by the police. The website is http://www.immi.gov.au/managing-australias-borders/compliance/staying-legally/dob-in-line.htm

Then, I’ll let go 🙂

You’ll have to just let it go, call it a lesson learned etc.

I informed Fair Trading ACT on the date of my original post. They sent me a link to some vague article on scamwatch (Commonwealth Govt Site) telling people to be careful with door to door traders.

I replied and asked them politely to consider a media release lest more ACT residents get suckered. They werent intersted (Narelle Branwell TL Advice and Complaints Unit). It would have taken them a total of 2 minutes to draft and send the fax and I’m sure they had better things to do (like an office birthday or something).

They aren’t there to steal your id, just make some bucks from suckers and move onto the next street.

Had a guy come to our house last night by the name of Lior Guri, claiming to be an Israeli student with original works from many students from around the world who were involved in some project to raise money for art students.

We bought a painting and then I had an uneasy feeling and googled. Yes, I am a loser – should have googled first….

I am not particularly worried about being fleeced by buying a $5 ripoff at 30x markup. I dislike being lied to and thinking I am doing a good thing for a struggling student, finding out that I am in fact being fleeced by a dodgy backpacker. I would have preferred to buy a painting from a local art student with that money, supporting local artists and the local industry, rather than Israeli backpackers.

Here’s what I have done – contacted Fair Trading, via :
Office of Regulatory Services
GPO Box 158
Canberra City ACT 2601
ph: 02 6205 3795
fax: 02 6207 0538
email: Fair.Trading@act.gov.au

Contacted police – they said they could do nothing

Contacted my bank – they are investigating. I did an EFT, so have his name and account details.

Looked him up on Facebook – search for him and check it out yourself – he’s the guy sitting next to the microwave in the stripy hoody.

As I said, my main beef is that I have been lied to and been made to feel fearful in my own house – at first I was convinced he was an identity thief and was also casing the joint to come back and rob me later – I had a bad night’s sleep. Since finding him on Facebook and realising he is using his real bank account, I think it is more likely that he is in fact a student, scamming innocents like myself to fund a holiday.

As I learned in legal studies in grade 10 – “let the buyer beware”, which was something in Latin I am sure…

I’ve travelled a bit, and you can’t go many places in the non-Islamic 3rd/2nd-world without learning to steer clear of Israelis.

God, here you are as well, railing against TEH J00Z and their Z10|\|15T C0N5piraCY!!!11!

I hate devil_n_Disquiz’s sunset. Quite a lot.

TAD said :

I disagree with you Sheepgroper, just because the seller has convinced you that you have a good deal does not mean that you have.

If you are willing to pay $200-500 for something that you can get for $50, then good for you.

Sure, but sometimes you have to make a decision on limited information, and live with it, it’s not as if they knew it was available elsewhere for less and decided to pay the higher price. I’ve bought things to find later that I could have saved myself lots by waiting or buying elsewhere, that’s life.

Besides, I didn’t want Devil_n_Disquiz to hate their sunset : – )

funkybaron said :

We got a guy come up to our house in Wanniassa on Saturday. I didn’t give him the time to explain himself, but he was carrying paintings from what I could see.

Must have been the same fella that came to my door a few weeks ago, can’t say I was stupid enough to buy something that a random came to the door trying to sell.

Devil_n_Disquiz said :

🙂

Here is the one we got

http://www.doupine.com/arts/HS2950.htm

Gaaah! You poor bugger. You can buy some very nice photos of sunsets from those photographer persons.

There are some very, very unpleasant paintings on that site.

One could ring them up and have a go, I guess. They have put their contact numbers and address at teh bottom… in Choina.

Igglepiggle said :

doorstep paintings

I like that term!

I think they hit my brother back, gawd, about 20 years ago. Although I think he said the seller was a french art student.

Worst Painting Ever. a blue bird on a twig. Twee, chocolate box, you name it.

One day that painting is going up in his house.

Oh well, if you like it. I’m sure youve spent more money on something you didn’t end up liking as much.

I was ripped off for a grand from the white van stereo scammers a couple of years ago. I ended up giving the piece of crap stereo system to Aussie Junk.

🙂 Here is the one we got

http://www.doupine.com/arts/HS2950.htm

I think Emlyn Ward should be given a show on SBS.
“Learn to steer clear of Israelis with Emlyn Ward”
could replace Lonely Planet easily.

One of these young men paid me a visit at work in Fyshwick about two hours ago!

Igglepiggle said :

They were here in South Tuggeranong a couple of times last year. I just laughed and told them if they were looking for people with extra cash to buy doorstep paintings that South Tuggers probably wasn’t the best place to look.

😀 😀 😀

They were here in South Tuggeranong a couple of times last year. I just laughed and told them if they were looking for people with extra cash to buy doorstep paintings that South Tuggers probably wasn’t the best place to look.

I disagree with you Sheepgroper, just because the seller has convinced you that you have a good deal does not mean that you have.

If you are willing to pay $200-500 for something that you can get for $50, then good for you.

Heh – funniest “Mickey Mouse” I’ve seen http://www.doupine.com/arts/HS2353.htm

But no sheep paintings.

i love the word scum. note to self to use it more often. especially when this scum in particular turn up on my doorstep.

having said that, i do tend to agree with sheepgroper – beauty and value in the eye of the beholder when it comes to art except when we’re talking about fugly historical value paintings like the mona lisa.

Someone posted a link to them at http://www.doupine.com/ earlier, there’s a crawl across the top of the screen with samples.

I recognise the look of some popular artists. Some definitely are worth paying a few $$ for, but I’ve seen a doco on how they’re produced, people spend years painting the same little detail of the same painting over and over, so like prints there are thousands of identical paintings out there, you’re not getting an original.

What are these isralite pictures like anyway? Worth a look at small $$?

I’d argue that if you liked the art and thought it was worth that much you didn’t really get conned.

Well..I guess we got conned then. We have quite a nice ‘Sunset’ painting hanging in the lounge that was bought for around $180.
Framers must be in on the act too as this ‘student’ sent a framer round to …well…frame it. 🙂

Ozhair said :

Emlyn Ward said :

They did our street just before christmas.
Two people in our neighbourhood bought a painting (that I know of) – one of them paid $200, the other about $400.
I told them it was a con.

And I bet you were the one the neighbours got pissed off with. Most of the time people just don’t like having it pointed out that they’ve done something stupid 😉

Well, it was quite funny actually – we had gathered to have a neighbourhood christmas drink when the Israelis came past with their junk so everybody got a chance to tell the story of their interaction with them. The guy who paid $400 got quite a ribbing!

I’ve travelled a bit, and you can’t go many places in the non-Islamic 3rd/2nd-world without learning to steer clear of Israelis.

Wow, We had a nice young girl stop by our campbell house last year,
Struggling art student, from Israeli.
A Housemate purchased a painting for around $300
I surpose she could’ve legitimately been an Art student
Even for knock offs some of the paintings were pretty

Clown Killer said :

They were in Kambah on Friday night.

and got short shrift from us. what the hell would we do with paintings? I have finger paintings from 3 kids. (can be mass produced with butcher’s paper and a lot of paint)

Emlyn Ward said :

They did our street just before christmas.
Two people in our neighbourhood bought a painting (that I know of) – one of them paid $200, the other about $400.
I told them it was a con.

And I bet you were the one the neighbours got pissed off with. Most of the time people just don’t like having it pointed out that they’ve done something stupid 😉

Emlyn Ward said :

They did our street just before christmas.
Two people in our neighbourhood bought a painting (that I know of) – one of them paid $200, the other about $400.
I told them it was a con.

Some people have too much money and not enough sense.

Yep, i had one of these guys at my door on Friday night too.
I think you could have heard my laughter all the way down the street when he showed me his “Artwork”.

They were in Kambah on Friday night.

We had these guys turn up to our place in Lyneham twice last year – September and November. It was like they were waiting in the bushes until they knew someone was home. Not a split second before I had closed the garage door, the doorbell rang and there were two guys standing there with their arms laden with canvases.

One of these f.ckers had the temerity to come to my house (southside, represent) a couple of nights ago. At 8:30pm. To my back door, not the front. Needless to say the conversation that followed was short.

We got a guy come up to our house in Wanniassa on Saturday. I didn’t give him the time to explain himself, but he was carrying paintings from what I could see.

They did our street just before christmas.
Two people in our neighbourhood bought a painting (that I know of) – one of them paid $200, the other about $400.
I told them it was a con.

I didnt realise a thread was already running on this.

http://the-riotact.com/?p=7548

Wow ! These Israeli’s are lost.
Fine Art in WEST Belconnen?
Ha!