Meaning & use
artist scam
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A dishonest trick that targets artists, often by asking them to pay fees or give away work for a fake opportunity.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an artist scam' or 'artist scams'.
Patterns
- fall for an artist scam
- be targeted by an artist scam
- an artist scam involving someone
She lost $500 after falling for an artist scam that promised a gallery show.
The email looked professional, but it was an artist scam asking for a submission fee.
Many artist scams start with a message on social media offering a fake commission.
Word forms
| plural | artist scams |
|---|
Common combinations
- fall for an artist scam
- He fell for an artist scam and paid a fake registration fee.
- report an artist scam
- You should report an artist scam to the platform where it happened.
- online artist scam
- Online artist scams often use stolen images to look real.
- victim of an artist scam
- She became a victim of an artist scam after sharing her portfolio.
Synonyms and how they differ
- art fraud
- Art fraud is broader and can involve forged paintings or fake provenance, while an artist scam specifically targets artists themselves.
- con
- Con is informal and general; an artist scam is a specific type of con aimed at people who make art.
Word family
Commonly confused: artist scam or art scam?
artist scam vs art scam
An art scam usually means fraud involving artworks (forgeries, fake sellers). An artist scam targets the artist as a victim.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'artist scam' correctly?
Choose one answer.
An artist scam targets artists, often through fake opportunities and fees, so the email example fits. Option 1 describes art fraud, not a scam aimed at an artist. Option 3 wrongly uses it as a person. Option 4 treats it as a physical object, which is impossible.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “artist scam”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.