The following post was sent to one of our artists. There are a few interesting things about it. Most importantly, it talks about buying a number of pieces of artwork and turning them into NFTs (non-fungible tokens). I won't get into NFTs other than to say that they are related to crypto technologies like Bitcoin. While NFTs are a potentially useful technology, I've not yet seen a non-scam use of them. In particular, art-related use of NFTs has been completely discredited.
I would not recommend that any artist get involved in NFTs at all.
I looked into the GoldenMinter marketplace a bit; it seems that this is where the scam is likely to take place. NFTs are very complex, and it would be very easy to lose control of them, their wallets, etc., especially in one of these kinds of marketplaces. I am not sure specifically how the scam might proceed on this marketplace, but I can imagine a number of different scenarios.
Also, I'm finding that any email message that starts out with a variation of "I hope this email finds you well" is likely generated by AI. AI has been a boon for scammers, as most are not native speakers of the languages used in their email messages. One of the clues we used to have that a message was a scam was bad grammar and odd idioms. AI tools can take those initial, poor-quality messages and generate very good, if overly wordy, messages, so seeing a well-written message is no longer a sign of a legitimate sender.
Thomas Williams (infothomaswilliams17@gmail.com) wrote:
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my sincere admiration for your artworks, which I have had the pleasure of discovering recently. Your creations are truly beautiful, unique, and exquisite, showcasing a mastery of technique and a deep understanding of the artistic medium.
As a professional NFT collector, I am always on the lookout for exceptional art pieces that resonate with me. Your artworks have not only captured my attention but have also inspired me to reach out to you with a proposal.
I am interested in acquiring a few of your artworks as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), if available. I believe that your creations would be perfectly suited for the NFT market, given their rarity, beauty, and emotional resonance.
Before proceeding, I would like to inquire about your familiarity with NFTs. Do you have knowledge about NFTs and the process involved in creating and selling them? If not, I am more than happy to guide you through the process and provide any necessary information to ensure a smooth and secure transaction.
Considering the fact that NFTs are of high market value, I am making an offer to purchase each artwork at $8,000, as I would be buying three artworks from you. I believe this offer reflects the value and rarity of your digital art.
To give you a better understanding of the process, I would like to outline the following steps:
1. Creation of a digital wallet: You will need to create a digital wallet that supports Ethereum (ETH), as this is the cryptocurrency used for NFT transactions.
2. Selection of an NFT platform: We will use GoldenMinter, a reputable NFT platform, to create, list, and sell your artworks as NFTs.
3. Minting of NFTs: Once the artworks are uploaded to GoldenMinter, we will mint them as NFTs, which involves creating a unique digital token that represents ownership of the artwork.
4. Listing and sale: The NFTs will be listed on GoldenMinter, and I will purchase them at the agreed-upon price.
Please let me know if you are interested in proceeding with the sale, and if you have any questions or concerns about the process. I am committed to ensuring a fair and transparent transaction process.
Thank you for considering my proposal. I eagerly await your response.
Best regards,