Spotting and reporting scams, fake profiles, and spam

Wherever there are artists with public profiles, there are scammers trying to take advantage. ArtHelper is no exception. This article tells you what to watch for and what to do when you see something wrong.## The three patterns of scam connection requestsAlmost every scam DM on ArtHelper follows one of three scripts. If you see any of these patterns, the request is a scam — don't reply, just report it.1. **"Move to WhatsApp / Telegram / email" early on.** A real collector or fellow artist will start by talking to you about your work. A scammer will, within one or two messages, try to move the conversation off-platform — usually to WhatsApp, sometimes Telegram or a personal email. Once you're off ArtHelper, we can't see or stop what happens.2. **"I want to buy your painting" with no detail.** A real buyer asks about a specific piece — its size, year, the story behind it. A scammer says "your art is amazing, I'd love to buy a piece" without naming one. Sometimes they say they'll pay extra to "save you the listing fees." It's a check-fraud setup or a request to ship before the payment clears.3. **"NFT" / "crypto" / "ETH" out of nowhere.** Anyone offering to buy your work in ETH, mint it as an NFT for you, or pay through a crypto wallet you've never used is running a wallet-drain scam. ArtHelper has nothing to do with NFTs.**If you're already in one of these conversations:** Don't share an address, don't share bank info, don't click any payment links, and don't ship anything. Block the user (steps below) and report the conversation. We track patterns across reports — every one helps.## What a real connection request looks like vs a scam**A scam connection request — three red flags in one message:**> **james_rich_collector_1987** wants to connect > > "Hi dear, your art is amazing! I would love to buy some pieces for my collection. Please contact me on WhatsApp at +1-555-XXX-XXXX so we can discuss payment in ETH. I'll pay extra to save you the platform fees." > > 🚩 Generic "your art is amazing" with no piece named · 🚩 Move to WhatsApp · 🚩 ETH crypto · 🚩 "Save platform fees"A real artist or collector will write you something specific — they'll name a piece, ask a question about the work, mention a show or community they're in. They're patient, they want to talk on ArtHelper, and they don't ask you to move off-platform within the first message.## How to report a scam connection request1. Open the message or the connection request on [My Network](https://app.arthelper.ai/network) or [Messages](https://app.arthelper.ai/messages).2. Click the three-dot menu (**•••**) in the corner of the message or row.3. Click **Report**.4. In the dialog, pick **Spam** (for scam-buyer messages) or **Harassment or bullying** (if it's threatening). Optionally add a note about what tipped you off.5. Click **Submit Report**.6. While you're there, also click **Block** on that user so they can't send you anything else.**The Report dialog:**> **Report content** > > Why are you reporting this? > > ○ Spam > > ○ Inappropriate content > > ○ Harassment or bullying > > ○ Misinformation > > ○ Other > > **[Submit Report]**## What if someone is using my artwork on a fake profile?If you find a profile that's posting your paintings as their own, we want to know. We will remove the profile and notify them. Here's how to flag it:1. Open the fake profile (paste the URL into a new tab if a friend sent it to you).2. Click the three-dot menu (**•••**) near the top of the profile page.3. Click **Report this profile**.4. Pick **Other** and in the note field write "This person is using my artwork without permission" and add a link to one of the originals on your own profile.5. Submit. Our team reviews within 1–2 business days.**Tip:** Take screenshots of the fake profile BEFORE you report — sometimes bad actors delete their profiles when they realize they've been spotted, and screenshots are useful evidence if there's any back-and-forth.## What to do if your own artwork is flaggedSometimes ArtHelper's automated content filters flag a piece of your legitimate artwork by mistake — especially wildlife photos, figure studies, or nature photography that includes skin tones or organic shapes. Here's what's happening and what to do.### Why legitimate work gets flaggedArtHelper uses automated image detection to catch inappropriate content before it goes live. These filters sometimes produce **false positives** — flagging:- **Wildlife and nature photography** with warm tones or curved forms that the system misreads as nudity - **Classical figure drawing or painting** that depicts the human form in an artistic context - **Abstract work** with flesh tones or organic shapes - **Sculptures or installations** photographed in certain lightingThis happens across all content platforms that use automated moderation. Reading the community guidelines doesn't prevent false positives — the system scans images automatically, not based on your intent or your account history.### What happens when your work is flaggedWhen the system flags one of your uploads:1. The image is held for **human review** — it does not go live on your profile yet. 2. You'll see a notification that the post is "under review." 3. Our moderation team (real people, not bots) reviews it within **1–2 business days** (usually faster). 4. If the flag was a mistake, we approve the post and it goes live. You'll get a notification. 5. If the content does violate guidelines, we'll send you a message explaining why and what section of the guidelines applies.### What to do while you wait- **Don't re-upload the same image multiple times.** That won't speed up the review and may flag your account for spam. - **Don't delete the flagged post** unless you've decided you don't want it on your profile. Deleting it removes it from the review queue. - If it's been longer than 2 business days, email **support@arthelper.com** with "Flagged artwork review" in the subject line and include a link to the post or a description of the image.### If you disagree with a decisionIf your work is rejected after human review and you believe it was a mistake, reply to the notification message or email **support@arthelper.com** with:- A link to the post (if it's still in your drafts or upload history) - Context about the work (e.g., "This is a photograph of a marble sculpture from the Louvre" or "This is a life drawing from a figure drawing class") - Why you believe it fits within the guidelinesWe'll escalate it to a second reviewer.## Phishing emails that look like ArtHelperIf you receive an email that *looks* like it's from ArtHelper but feels off — asking you to "verify your wallet," "claim ETH for your artwork," or sign in by clicking an unfamiliar link — it's almost certainly phishing.Real ArtHelper emails:- Come from *@arthelper.com* or *@intercom-mail.com* addresses. - Never ask you to verify a crypto wallet (we don't deal in crypto). - Never ask you to sign in via a link that goes anywhere other than *arthelper.com* or *app.arthelper.ai*.If in doubt, don't click the link. Instead, go to [app.arthelper.ai](https://app.arthelper.ai) directly and sign in there. If there's a real notification waiting, you'll see it in your notifications page.## Reporting email scams that mention ArtHelperSome scammers send emails that **reference ArtHelper but don't come from ArtHelper** — they're trying to make their scam look more legitimate by name-dropping a platform you use. These are different from the on-platform scams above (fake connection requests, spam DMs). Here's how to spot and report them.### The "art purchase offer" email scam patternOne common version we've seen reported:- An email from someone like "Sandra Luke" or "Michael Chen" or a similar generic name - Says they found your work on ArtHelper (or "through ArtHelper" or "via your ArtHelper profile") - Wants to buy a piece or commission something for a wedding, office, or gift - Asks you to fill out a **web form** to confirm your details or provide shipping info - The form asks for your phone number, and then they contact you on **WhatsApp, Telegram, or text** - They offer to pay via **Zelle, CashApp, Venmo**, or send you a check for more than the amount and ask you to refund the difference (a classic overpayment scam) - Sometimes they'll claim to be affiliated with **Sotheby's, Christie's,** or another well-known auction house or gallery**This is a scam.** Here's why:- **Legitimate buyers don't ask you to move to WhatsApp or CashApp** — they'll communicate through the platform or a professional email. - **Web forms are for contact only** — real transactions happen through invoices, purchase agreements, or platform tools. A "purchase form" that asks for your phone number so they can text you is a red flag. - **Real galleries and auction houses don't cold-email artists** they found on a social platform. If Sotheby's wants your work, you'll hear from them through established channels, and they'll have a professional web domain and verifiable contact info. - **Overpayment check scams are old but still common** — they send a fake check for $5,000, ask you to deposit it and refund $2,000, and by the time the check bounces you're out the money.### What to do if you get one of these emails1. **Do not reply.** Do not click links in the email. Do not fill out any forms.2. **Do not share your phone number, address, or payment info** — even if the email sounds polite and professional.3. **Forward the email to support@arthelper.com** with the subject line "Scam email mentioning ArtHelper." Include: - The full email with headers (in Gmail: open the email, click the three dots, click "Show original," copy and paste that) - Any links or form URLs they sent - A note about whether they contacted you on ArtHelper first or if this was completely out of the blue4. **Mark the email as spam** in your email client so your provider learns to filter similar messages.5. If you *already gave them your phone number or address*, block the number, don't respond to texts, and **do not send any money or artwork**. If they sent you a check, do not deposit it. If you deposited it and sent money back, contact your bank immediately and report it as fraud.### Why forwarding these helpsWe track off-platform scam patterns and share them with our community in updates like this one. We can't control what scammers send via Gmail or Yahoo, but we *can* warn other artists. Every forwarded scam email helps us update our guidance and catch new variations.### The difference between on-platform and off-platform scams- **On-platform scams** = fake profiles, spam connection requests, scam DMs on ArtHelper. Report these using the **Report** button in the app. - **Off-platform email scams** = emails that mention ArtHelper but come from random Gmail/Outlook/Yahoo addresses or sketchy domains. Forward these to **support@arthelper.com**.Both are serious, but they're handled differently. On-platform scams we can remove and block. Off-platform scams we can warn you about and (if they're impersonating us) pursue legally.## Common questions### If I report someone, do they know it was me?No. Reports are anonymous from the reported user's perspective. They see "your account has been reported," not who reported it.### What happens after I submit a report?Our moderation team reviews within 1–2 business days. Reports that match our automated scam signals are acted on faster. You'll get a notification when action is taken.### Can I un-block someone?Yes. Go to [Settings → Blocked users](https://app.arthelper.ai/settings). Find the user and click **Unblock**. If you change your mind, you can re-block them anytime.### I gave my email/phone to a scammer before I realized. What now?Don't reply to anything else from them. Block them. If you sent money, contact your bank or card issuer about a chargeback. If you sent artwork, that one is harder — file a report with us and with local police if the amount is significant. The earlier you catch it, the better the outcome.### I'm getting a lot of these — can ArtHelper block them at the source?We do — every reported scam pattern goes into our detection system, and we proactively block accounts that match. The reports you submit make the system smarter for everyone.