#and yeah i've left a little cute watermark

[theblisterdoesntexist]

a poor attempt at scanning (i'm thanking some random scanning app from app store for doing the 99% of dirty work), and i made sure that the text was readable

[enchantedmyth]

!!!I was scammed!!! (almost)

All artists, often sleep-deprived and vulnerable to scams, should take note of this. So, I received a request on Tumblr, they wanted their pet dog made in my art style. Now, I HAVE done commissions, but I never posted about it anywhere online (that should've rung some bells). But I assumed this person just liked my art, so I let that go.

Everything went smoothly, I shared the sketch, they liked it, I shared a low-quality, watermarked version of the final render, they loved it. They told me about their dog: Micky, he loves to play with toys. Cute, right?

Now, coming to payment, the total was 80$ (they had me make two drawings, 40$ each), they insisted that they'll add 20 bucks more as tip since they liked my art so much (what a liar). And I accept it was my fault to not ask for 50% payment before I made art, but I usually just ask them to pay before I share the art, and that has always worked for me. They said they only use PayPal (I've got the app, but I barely use it), so I asked them that they should send 1$ to make sure my account is well and working before sending a 100$. Guess what they said?

That should've alarmed me too, but I generally trust people, so I was like, "okay, makes sense." Then they sent me a screenshot as a proof that they transferred the money. Cool, right?

Wrong.

Instead of the payment, I receive an email, attached below:

Now, I'm not a complete fool. I mean, I *am* a little bit, but not entirely. C'mon, there's nothing written after 'dear'. And I knew this thing for sure:

The email address was pretty sus (it ended with a gmail. com, and I have enough brain power left to recognize that PayPal won't use that ever. And PayPal will NEVER have a 001 written in their mail address).

But in that moment, since I have crippling anxiety and I'm thriving with my ADHD without meds, I panicked and told them that I'm having some issue, and they should wait till I look into it. Like an angel, they said they will help me with it. They asked for a screenshot of the mail, and I shared it with them.

I was still a bit panicked by that time, so I said, ofc I won't steal, I'm not a thief. They said I pay it back by buying them a gift card instead. Yes, a fucking gift card. They said they'll guide me through the process if I don't know how to buy one (what a sweet, sweet human). By that point, I was talking to one of my friends about this and she suggested I call PayPal. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with them, so I put my trust on the site where I go every time when I have a problem. The man, the myth, the legend, Reddit.

That person sent me another screenshot claiming they sent me another 100$, and I got another mail:

And coincidentally, at the exact same fucking moment, I stumbled upon a gem on reddit:

Funny, isn't it? Even funnier, I stumbled upon another Micky, the dog.

Micky, the dog makes an appearance here too. I told my friend this and we laughed about it. I knew for sure it was a scam now.

And then they blocked me.

So, yeah. That was how I was about to be scammed. I could see it when they said I'm gonna have to pay the money back, but I found out on reddit that some people fell for it. So, stay safe, I guess.

Also, I'm opening slots for commissions for real this time, I hope I don't get scammed again.

Peace out!