# If you sell prints, please read! Scammer warning!



## SoulfulRecover (Jun 12, 2014)

One of my teachers, Polly Chandler, was recently contacted by a man named Corbett Bonilla stating he was an art collector and wanted to buy some of her limited prints. Everything seemed fine and she even received a check from the man. It turns out that the check was a fake and she got scammed out of her prints and the money. She is pretty devastated by it which is no surprise. Its a horrible thing to do to someone. Other photographers are starting to come forward about being scammed as well by the same man. If you are selling prints of your work, please be aware!!!


Photographers warned about internet scammer | Amateur Photographer

Article and interview with Polly Chandler: Shameless Internet Scammer Cons Austin-Based Photographer Out of Prints and Profits - Feature Shoot


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## robbins.photo (Jun 12, 2014)

SoulfulRecover said:


> One of my teachers, Polly Chandler, was recently contacted by a man named Corbett Bonilla stating he was an art collector and wanted to buy some of her limited prints. Everything seemed fine and she even received a check from the man. It turns out that the check was a fake and she got scammed out of her prints and the money. She is pretty devastated by it which is no surprise. Its a horrible thing to do to someone. Other photographers are starting to come forward about being scammed as well by the same man. If you are selling prints of your work, please be aware!!!
> 
> 
> Photographers warned about &#8216;internet scammer&#8217; | Amateur Photographer
> ...



Guess she's not familiar with the notion that "Nothing ships until the check clears."  Something to keep in mind for future transactions.  Just out of curiousity, how much was the check for?  And was it sent in the mail?  Check with your county attorney if the check was local, if it's over a certain $ amount they will press charges.  If the check was mailed, that's a federal beef - mail fraud.  Nasty piece of work, huge fine and possible jail sentence or each count.  So she should see about contacting the federal authorities for that (start with the post office) and see what they can do - she should be realistic, it's not like these cases will be heavily investigated or acted on immediately, but usually people who do this eventually build up enough of a track record that they do finally get caught.


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## snerd (Jun 12, 2014)

Yeah, I don't understand anyone in today's Internet age not letting the check clear before shipping or delivering anything. I used to wholesale cheap gift items online, and you wouldn't believe the stuff some crooks will try! One guy sent me a check, I believe about $1500, but it was a personal check. I returned it, informing him that I only took certified checks, as stated on the payment info page. He sent it back a week later.................. same check, but in the memo area he had written Certified Check!! LOL!!!


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## Civchic (Jun 13, 2014)

Yeah, I've received a fake check before - and watching over email as the guy slowly loses his mind because I wouldn't ship the item until the check cleared was pretty amusing (I knew it was a fake).  I reported it to the police and gave them all my emails but I'm not sure anything came of it.  I'm sorry that people are still being caught by these lowlifes.


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## Overread (Jun 13, 2014)

Yeah always make sure a cheque clears before sending any goods - same as any other form of payment; it must clear into your account before you ship anything. Otherwise you're just trusting an utter stranger and whilst you might have their address chances are its temporary or very far off (many scammers make sure to only scam well outside of their living region).

Similarly if going through services like paypal even though you've got protections make sure to use things like sign on delivery and proof of postage so that they can't just claim "it never arrived" because you've got the signature from the mail services to prove that it did. Insurance is a must have if its valuable as well. 

Other warnings are when they ask you to post to a different address to one listed on their card/payment option/etc... Especially if its clear that the address is a very long way off; or when they change details a lot during the process. Remember you are never forced to trade with someone and you can cancel a trade at any time you want so long as you return any funds you've taken (on that score never return money paid by cheque until its cleared into your bank account. The old "Oh I sent too much please send it back quick I need to pay for something urgent" is a classic scam


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## Braineack (Jun 13, 2014)

I don't understand anyone accepting a check in general (and foreign at that matter), let alone paying with one.

And why does she owes the bank $2700 dollar now? I understand overdraft fees, but this suggests she needs to "pay back" the bank, unless that assumes she withdrew against the $2000, which is plain silly. I feel scammed by reading this "story".


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## manaheim (Jun 13, 2014)

This is very sad, and I feel for your friend, but this really has nothing to do with photography and everything to do with worldliness... which, unfortunately, strips away innocence.

Follow some very simple rules and you'll be better off for it:

1. Assume everyone is working for their best interests, and not yours.
2. Look at every situation from how someone else might be able to take advantage of you.
3. Research anything new.

It's harsh. It's unpleasant. It's unfortunate.

It's also reality.


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## Overread (Jun 13, 2014)

Braineack said:


> I don't understand anyone accepting a check in general, let alone paying with one.



Well not everyone wants to pay paypal fees and many person to person transactions don't have the luxury of being able to take card payments. So when distance paying a cheque works very well and avoids the need to post large sums of money. Used correctly you can protect yourself when using and accepting them; you just have to be aware of the potential pitfalls and take appropriate steps. 

The time that they are most risky is when you accept one and transfer goods before the cheque has cleared - that's basically when you're trusting the other party totally. Many smaller companies also don't always had card-readers (though its getting less and less common) so if they ever take high value orders a cheque is often far more acceptable than a person having to carry a large sum of money around.


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## SDB777 (Jun 13, 2014)

Having a website that I sell 'goods' on(not photography), nothing ships until the check clears.  For that matter, money orders too!

It's simple way of doing business....and if the 'customer' doesn't want to wait for the check/MO to clear?  Easy, they can bring cash over and hand it to me or I am pleased to allow them to shop somewhere else(guess there is no 'kind' way of saying that).



Yes, it's a shame that someone was 'scammed'....





Scott (life lessons stink) B


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## photoguy99 (Jun 13, 2014)

Check with your bank about how to be sure that a check has really truly cleared. Some banks will cheerfully update balances, and even let you spend money, before it's really truly cleared through.


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## Braineack (Jun 13, 2014)

some banks even have online access to your own bank account, even phone apps...  I know, crazy.  "please picture my eyes rolling"


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## SoulfulRecover (Jun 13, 2014)

I hope you guys understand it wasnt meant to be posted as a sob story, just a reminder that people are still scamming and to watch yourself so it doesnt happen to you


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## bribrius (Jun 13, 2014)

photoguy99 said:


> Check with your bank about how to be sure that a check has really truly cleared. Some banks will cheerfully update balances, and even let you spend money, before it's really truly cleared through.


bingo. I had 11 checks bounce through my account which drove my account negative 1285 dollars. I am not a happy camper to say the least. Locked my account and I had to go down and cover the negative balance. All from the same two people. who had their own accounts messed up. vicious chain reaction of dominoes. Thirty bucks a wack in fees. oh joy... 
Banks love this kind of thing, they make a killing off it.


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## TheNevadanStig (Jun 13, 2014)

Braineack said:


> I don't understand anyone accepting a check in general (and foreign at that matter), let alone paying with one.




This. If you can write a GOOD check, then you have the cash to clear it, opening up many more kinds of much more secure payment methods. I never accept checks, ever ever.


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## robbins.photo (Jun 13, 2014)

TheNevadanStig said:


> Braineack said:
> 
> 
> > I don't understand anyone accepting a check in general (and foreign at that matter), let alone paying with one.
> ...



I have.. but nothing leaves my hand till the check clears and payment is finalized.  If that takes two weeks, well then the buyer is waiting two weeks before anything ships or he/she can pick anything up.  I don't care if it's a business check, personal check, cashiers check - etc, until I can confirm the money has actually been transfered into my account and the transaction was finalized by the bank, then whatever it is I'm selling isn't leaving my posession until it does.

I've had a couple of people pay by check for stuff I sold on craigslist, I told them pretty much the same thing.  One guy got a little snippy saying, well this is a "business check", to which I replied, thats fine, but nothing leaves here until the check clears.  I don't make exceptions on that, ever.  So if you want to take it with you today you'll need to go cash this and come back with cash, if you need an invoice for your records be more than happy to print you one.


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## robbins.photo (Jun 13, 2014)

SoulfulRecover said:


> I hope you guys understand it wasnt meant to be posted as a sob story, just a reminder that people are still scamming and to watch yourself so it doesnt happen to you



No worries, she's a friend/mentor and she got scammed.  I just hope this turns out ok for her, and I also hope she'll take this to heart and be more careful in the future (as I'm sure she will).


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## vintagesnaps (Jun 13, 2014)

I didn't realize it takes 30 days for a foreign check to clear. Of course I'm more the cynical type and probably would've gotten tired of this much back and forth and just blocked the guy's emails and been done with it before it got this far along! Unfortunately the cashier's check being supposedly from Canada and the buyer in England would have been a red flag but maybe the seller didn't realize it at the time. 

You guys need to read the article - she sold _two_ prints at $1100 each, so had $500+ in additional fees (apparently had made transactions from that account not knowing the check hadn't cleared and wasn't legit). At least her sharing her story might help other people be aware of it. 

This makes me think too if you're selling prints at this level it might be worth looking into selling thru galleries or other representation, I can see now why artists do that once they've developed enough of a reputation to sell at higher prices. Hope she gets this resolved.


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