Cruise Line’s Fraud Art Scams

The average person on the street thinks that art scams are a little too sophisticated. How often do you actually purchase new paintings? Naturally, it must be a little simpler to pull off if you're not on the street as it frequently occurs while people are at sea.

Art purchasers who were duped by fraudulent art auctions while on cruises in foreign waters have filed multiple lawsuits against a Detroit gallery called Park West. Ten clients accused them of doing this back in 2009. Every year, it appears that these auctions bring in hundreds of millions of dollars for cruise lines, which are shared between them and the galleries who provide the artwork.

The issue is that some of the work is counterfeit. Somehow, passengers are led to believe that their cruise line has a real Picasso or Dali. The business has been involved in 21 lawsuits since 2008. The cruise line and gallery are accused of coercing and lying to buyers while also entertaining them to pull off the scheme.