I got my first AI-generated art scam email

Every artist with an online presence eventually will get these scam emails with someone claiming they want to buy your art. I have had a website since 1998, and it did not take long until I had the first of these inquiries.  I have heard about countless “wife’s anniversary” gifts.  They typically are not far away, but far enough that the art needs to be shipped.  Let’s just say, Sacramento seems to be full of art lovers (actually it is, but you get the point).
Of course, the first time, you naively respond.  But the follow-up quickly turns to a need for weird check payments, etc. and you know it is a scam.

I no longer get these emails very often. I think the scammers know this won’t work.  Or do they?
Today, I got my first AI-generated art scam email (see below).   And I am naming fictitious Ayla Schmidt here, so if anyone searches for her name, this will come up.  It looks like there are a few real Ayla Schmidts out in the world but this “Art collector/lover” in the UK is nearly nonexistent online. But I did find “she” commented on another artist’s website with the exact same text used in the email I received.

Before there was email there was V Mail

Have you ever heard of a V Mailer?  80 years ago, they were a high-tech solution for the U.S. Military. The mailers helped manage and move a very high volume of mail sent to those serving overseas. The way the V Mailers worked is the original copy was reviewed by wartime censors and photographed — then a small negative was transported overseas to be printed at its destination. This enabled the U.S. Military to drastically reduce the weight of all the mail being sent to service members overseas.

 

I was not familiar with V Mail until a friend gave me an old box of unused mailers.  

Currently the anti-democratic regime is actively erasing and altering any parts of our nation’s history that do not fit their white supremacist narrative. Stories are disappearing from many different government websites. This inspired me to start commemorating those stories with a series of American Hero artist stamps.

During World War II, you were not allowed to add enclosures to a V Mailer.  The ones I mailed out this week each include a set of six artist stamps featuring the following Americans:

• Wong Kim Ark
• Private Albert Cashier
• Dr. Héctor P. García
• Corporal Terry Toyome Nakanishi
• Susie King Taylor
• Navajo Code Talkers

Sending mail art that preserves history is just one small act of resistance. One of the ways we can honor those who bravely fought against fascism 80 years ago is to stand up and speak out.