Reddit Scam Pattern
Stolen portfolio art used in commission fraud
5 reports · first seen 13 July 2026 · last seen 17 Aug 2026
Scammers target artists and commission buyers by presenting stolen artwork as their own, then either collect upfront payment for work never delivered or initiate contact to harvest payment details. New account profiles and bulk requests are common early indicators.
How the scam works
Identity fabrication using reverse-image-searchable stolen portfolios to solicit upfront commission payments or initiate overpayment fraud.
Brands impersonated
Member posts on Reddit (5)
- [UK] Random “upcoming artist” wanted to paint one of my photos, then blocked me... Is it a Scam?
A UK Instagram user was approached by an account posing as an upcoming artist wanting to paint their photo; personal information was requested before the account blocked them.
reddit · 16 Aug 2026 · other
- How bad is giving full name, phone number and bank name?
A 17-year-old gave their name, email, bank name, and phone number to an Instagram user posing as an artist wanting to paint their cat photo, then received a suspicious digital cheque.
reddit · 3 Aug 2026 · other
- [US] ALMOST got scammed on Tumblr by a "fan artist" who was stealing work
A Tumblr user was approached by someone offering fan-art commissions using a stolen portfolio; a reverse image search revealed the art was not their own.
reddit · 13 Aug 2026 · shopping_scam
- [NL] Is this a art commissioner scam
Dutch artist received a suspicious bulk art commission request from a newly created X account with a pornstar profile picture.
reddit · 8 Aug 2026 · other
- Possible ArtStation scam: Someone offered to pay me for using my artwork as “inspiration”
Two days after creating an ArtStation portfolio, a user was contacted by someone offering payment for using their artwork as inspiration, which the user found suspicious.
reddit · 13 July 2026 · other