Shopper Beware of Scam Companies Selling Knock-offs of Artist's Work

SHOPPERS BEWARE of fraudulent Facebook ads and websites selling stolen images!

Thank you to everyone who has been flagging sites that are stealing photos from artists (typically complex fiber art images such as mine above), then ‘selling’ them for a fraction of their worth. Buyers will receive horrid, printed-polyester pieces of cloth that look nothing like what they thought they were buying.

WATCH OUT for fake companies 'selling' stolen scarf / hat / shawl / sweater photos! You can tell they are fake for 3 reasons:

  1. The prices seem too good to be true (they are);

  2. The same items are showing up on 'different' companies;

  3. If you do happen to click on the ad, the company details are wonky and the complex scarves are shown in different colors that are obviously manipulated.

The BEST thing you can do to help is to:

  1. PLEASE report each ad to Facebook, Google, Amazon so these huge companies stops allowing scam companies to show up on people's feeds!!!

  2. Please share this post, or send out warnings to your friends!

  3. If you happen to purchase one of these items, file a complaint with PayPal or whatever purchasing company you used.

Now we need to send a message to facebook, google, paypal - please see my letter HERE and forward if you agree!

By the way: The parent company over all of these fake companies that have been stealing photos is CHICV and here are some of the names they have been using (watch for similar names that keep popping up):

  • Bikabon

  • Enparating

  • Plusizebra

  • Tomoting

  • Ladieswow

  • Kumicool

  • Jenlisee

  • Chimagination

  • Ellafancy

  • Eschill

  • Sophiemia

Here are even more names used by CHICV:
http://written-with-love.com/online-shopping-goes-wrong/

Thank you to everyone who has passed on these names!

UPDATE 10.31.19
PayPal is working on this!

I just got off the phone with the PayPal copyright infringement office who is activity looking into my complaint about fraudulent companies selling stolen designs. However, there isn’t much they can do going about it from my end. However, they can take action when there are complaints from buyers.
If you are a seller / artist whose images were also stolen, please PM me and I will send you the link to file a complaint. The more of us filing against the same companies, the more effective PayPal can be to shut down their payment system.

Creative BusinessBeverly Ash Gilbert2 Comments