I just want to alert everyone to a growing trend I've been seeing lately.

Twice this week I've had people approach me on Discord claiming to be artists that I've been actively looking at commissioning (and even referencing pieces I've bid on), using avatars and screen names set to impersonate known artists. While I haven't fallen for it in either case, I want the rest of you to be aware of it since if it's happening to me, it's probably happening to some of you all too.

Here's some tips on how to avoid this:

1. DO NOT pay for anything until you have verified the identity of the artist.
2. Avoid unsolicited friend requests. (If you have not specifically asked them to coordinate with you on Discord and given them your username, it's unsolicited.)
3. If the artist you're interacting with has socials listed on their accounts, cross-check them to the account of anyone you see on Discord.
4. If an "artist" attempts to reach out to you on Discord, ask them to verify who they are using another account that you know belongs to the artist. (ex. Have them send you a note on FA or a DM on another platform)
5. Ask the actual artist (on a known account) if they sent you the friend request/DM on Discord.
6. Avoid sharing your discord username publicly.
7. DO NOT pay for anything until you have verified the identity of the artist.

It's also worth noting that looking at the details of a Discord account isn't foul-proof. Scam accounts can vary in age, will often copy avatars and details from actual Discord accounts, and may have permanent usernames that are very similar to the impersonated artist.

Be careful out there everybody and stay safe.