"Student painting" door-to-door scammers in Canberra again

We got scammed/ripped off in Bonner last night by a young french man named Virgil – he said he was returning to Sydney that night and he did leave a mobile number for a framer, which I have not rung. Police referred me to scam watch who took some notes but they didn’t seem overly interested.

Just had a visit from a “French” male student selling original oil paintings from unknown artists! My partner almost was conned and asked for a larger painting ($550) , the frenchman came back 30 mins later with his offsider armed with prints but I had a quick google and came up with a site http://www.doupine.com which sells identical prints at $5.95 US .

For those who missed it in another related thread, here’s an immensely entertaining reply. Readers should savour the genuine Israeli art diller engrish, clearly demonstrating that the writer is a) from Israel, and b) english is not his language. He is clearly a victim of a dodgy Hebrew-to-English dictionary scam.

ori israel said :

#45ori israel
()
16:12, 12 Jun 10
Quote Previewed comment:

first of all, those oil painting are 100% hand made for sure!!!! i’ve been in those places where the artists make them and you have no idea how talanted those artists are (each painting start from a blank canvas and made by ONE artist without any envolve of any machin)it doesn’t matter where are the artists from, you’ll find the SAME paintings exactly that made by the same artist in any art galleries for thousends of dollars, some people just take the story to far and say that they did the paintings. i don’t think it’s matter.
as long as you love this painting and it makes you fill good it was wors the money you paid for them. no one forced you to buy anything. it was youre chois, i was working as well few years ago in one company in California, i sold a lot of paintings and made a LOT of money!!! i never lied about anything, i never sayd i made the paintings, i allways said that i’m en art diller and i was the best!! i have more than 25 people that i’m still in touch with them and we r really good friends and they all know aventualy about those paintings and every time i talk with them they remind me how lucky are thay that i came to their door and how much they love the paintings!
those paintings are AMAZING!!! and they stay for very long time (more then 40 years at least)
sorry for my english mistaks. i’m from Israel and it’s not my lenguage…

Can’t wait for them to knock on my door, the cheese earing surrender monkeys will be in for a right proper serve!

Handy info though, thanks for the update. I remember they came to my door when I lived in Ngunn..Nunnagw…Ngnnuw….up near Gungla..Gngahl…near Amaroo and they almost had me….until they mentioned they were french.

We got visited in Griffith last week the 8th of June, young French guy

Aurelius, look up the word ‘provenance’

The price difference between a Picasso and a “Picasso” is about $100 million. But if you think there’s no difference, a mate of mine can get you one for only half of what you might pay at Sotheby’s!

I’ve met some Israeli guys doing this about five years ago in the US. These ones in Canberra are definitely French. They’re the same paintings – bicycle race, something with coconut fibres.

I was invited to be one of the “art students” to do this scam in the mid 70s in Brisbane. I was too lazy.

http://the-riotact.com/?p=11381

The accent may sound french, but I think you’ll find these students are generally Israeli, and have been doing it for years:
http://www.designfederation.net/general/beware-of-door-to-door-art-scams/
http://matthayward.com/2008/01/05/israeli-art-student-scam-in-melbourne.htm
http://gorey.com.au/archives/2185