A prospective digital artist recently recounted their difficult experience of almost becoming a victim of a sophisticated scam in the guise of a commission request. Initially contacted through DeviantArt, the artist was contacted by someone who identified himself as a prospective client. The communication was soon transferred to Discord, where they were negotiating commission terms and the client agreeing to pay $200 via Cash App.
The situation grew suspicious in an instant when the artist received a spam message claiming the payment was “on hold” until the sender added $300 more to cover a presumed business account fee. The scammer requested that the artist pledge to refund the excess amount after receiving it, a common overpayment scam trick.
As the artist became suspicious, the scammer lowered the necessary refund to $100 and demanded payment through Venmo or gift card — both trace-free options preferred by scammers. As the artist hesitated and proposed lower verification payments, the scammer stood firm on the full $100.
Although uncertain and still holding out that the commission could be real, the artist sensibly hesitated, consulting advice before acting. Professionals advise artists to exercise caution: never pay money upfront to be paid, particularly using gift cards or other channels. Always check transactions directly from reliable payment apps.
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