The FBI has recently revamped its website, allowing for easy access to its "vault", a treasure trove of great case history. This one about an art scam in 2004 shows how a big time art dealer pulled off a major series of art scams. It took money, skill, patience and of course a certain amount of chutzpah. The scammer wasn't quite that good – he was caught. Here's some of the case highlights:
1990: Buy the authentic Marc Chagall La Nappe Mauve for $312,000.1993: Have it copied by an expert forger and sell the forgery for $514,000.1998: Sell the authentic work of art for $340,000. GAIN OVER 8 YEARS: $854,000.
1996: Buy the authentic Gustave Moreau L'Enlevement de Ganymede for $285,000.1997: Have it copied by an expert forger and sell the forgery for a $55,000 loss—price tag $229,000.1999: Sell the authentic work of art for a bigger loss—$170,000. GAIN OVER 3 YEARS: $399,000
Other paintings involved in the scams include Chagall's Les Marie au Bouquet de Fleurs and Le Roi David Dans le Paysage Vert; Marie Laurencin's Jeune Fille a la Mandolin; Paul Gaugin's Vase de Fleurs (Lilas); and Paul Klee's Palaste, all pictured above. Read the complete FBI file here.
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