NewsLaw
New York grand jury indicts Inigo Philbrick on federal fraud charges
The dealer was arrested by the FBI on the Pacific island Vanuatu last month and transferred into federal custody
NewsArt market
Monaco court dismisses criminal case against Yves Bouvier
The Swiss art dealer had been accused of fraud and money laundering by the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev—a related case in Geneva remains active
NewsArt market
Fugitive art dealer Inigo Philbrick found on Pacific Island, charged with $20m fraud scheme
London and Miami-based Philbrick, on the run since October, was arrested by FBI on Vanuatu on Thursday
NewsArt market
Florida man who bought a Rothko from Sotheby’s using a stolen identity sentenced to 4.5 years in prison
The interior decorator was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for buying art from galleries, auction houses and collectors using his wealthy clients’ credentials
NewsArt market
Convicted art fraudster Ezra Chowaiki subject of yet more legal drama
New racketeering suit against the disgraced New York art dealer, brought by a Spanish collector regarding paintings by Picasso and Léger, gets off to a mixed start
NewsRobert Indiana
Robert Indiana’s LOVE at centre of new $150m fraud claim
American Image Art founder alleges certain works are in the public domain and cannot be copyrighted
NewsFraud
German socialite Angela Gulbenkian faces second criminal case over Warhol picture
The Munich-based dealer and collector is also due to stand trial in London for allegedly stealing £1.1m in Kusama pumpkin sale
NewsCrime
Released but still under investigation: Russian couple embroiled in fraud scandal
Igor and Olga Toporovsky linked to controversial show of Russian avant-garde works in Ghent
CommentLawsuits
Dodgy dealers beware: anti-fraud lawsuits are on the rise
A spate of fraudulent agents in the dock this year give the art trade a bad image—even if only a few individuals are involved
AnalysisArt crime
Seller beware: how to avoid being duped by an artful dodger
Timothy Sammons misled clients over sales of works by artists including Picasso
NewsArt market
Timothy Sammons 'very remorseful' as he is jailed for defrauding clients of up to $30m
British art dealer sentenced to up to 12 years after pleading guilty to fraud and grand larceny in the New York State Supreme Court
News
‘Portuguese Saatchi’ in hot water over alleged €1bn debt
Three Portuguese banks have filed a lawsuit to recover funds from Joe Berardo, whose vast collection on show in Lisbon is one of the most visited in Portugal
NewsArt crime
London dealers embroiled in Ezra Chowaiki fraud scheme over $1.2m Chagall painting
Fresh complaint seeks the return of the work allegedly sold by the disgraced Manhattan dealer under false pretences
NewsArt market
Jean-Claude Juncker dismisses claims that freeports are ‘systematically used to commit fraud’
European Commission president rebuffs German MEP Wolf Klinz's demand for a proper investigation into the management of Le Freeport Luxembourg
NewsArt market
Russian billionaire Dmitri Rybolovlev charged in corruption probe brought by Monaco police
The formal investigation follows his detainment earlier this week related to an ongoing spat with the art dealer Yves Bouvier
NewsArt market
Guy Wildenstein cleared of tax evasion for a second time in Paris
Franco-American scion of art dealing dynasty was accused of hiding art and other property worth hundreds of millions of euros from French authorities
NewsLaw
New York art dealer pleads guilty to multimillion-dollar fraud
The court has ordered that Ezra Chowaiki forfeit over $16.6m as well as works by Picasso, Calder, Chagall and Degas
NewsArt crime
Picasso painting offered in money-laundering scheme, US feds say
London art dealer Matthew Green embroiled in case that involves attempted sale of a painting to an undercover agent to 'clean up' £6.7m, court documents state
NewsLaw
Dealer of works stolen by Jasper Johns's assistant can be charged with racketeering, court rules
The decision adds another wrinkle to the unsettled case law surrounding liability in art fraud
NewsFraud
Galleries hit by cyber crime wave
Hackers are using an email scam to intercept payments between galleries, collectors and others
News
Lawyers battle to tip balance of evidence before Knoedler trial
Both sides seek to exclude key witnesses and evidence from the forgery case which is set to begin on 25 January
NewsArt market
Online art sales are on the up—and so is fraud
Retailers need to do more to protect buyers from fraudsters selling fakes as online art businesses attract more investment
NewsLaw
Art collection of bankrupt German art consultancy to go under hammer
Sale of more than 2,000 works from Helge Achenbach's company expected to fetch between €3m and €4.5m
NewsArt market
Chinese official fired over art-career bribes
NewsLaw
Change in governance at Luxembourg Freeport after Swiss investor’s arrest
Yves Bouvier is reportedly to be replaced by a group of independent directors
ArchiveGagosian Gallery
Trust no one: victory for Gagosian in two-year case
Court concludes that dealers’ statements of value are legally meaningless
ArchiveNews
China Guardian head sounds warning note on sales and fraud
Hu Yanyan says that results will still be “healthy”
ArchiveKnoedler
Names of buyers deceived by Knoedler Gallery fakes disclosed
The document details museums, art dealers and private collectors who have brought charges against the gallery and its disgraced director
ArchiveFraud
Christie’s sold fake Knoedler Rothko ‘worth’ $4m
Christie's finds itself caught up in the ongoing forgery scandal
ArchiveForgeries
Growth in internet sales forces fraud issue
Identifying forgeries being sold on websites is not enough to tackle the problem
ArchiveKnoedler
Knoedler saga shows no sign of abating after last month's settlement as multiple suits remain unresolved
Several of the New York gallery's representatives have been indicted for engineering the sale of Abstract Expressionist forgeries
ArchiveLawsuits
Collector Rudy Kurniawan charged over pledged art for loan on top of previous wine scandal
Bank sells several works to recoup $3m loan
ArchiveLawsuits
Collector and Madoff associate Ezra Merkin finds himself in court
He is accused of defrauding his investors, which include charities
ArchiveCollectors
Russian art collector could face seven years in prison
Vladimir Nekrasov has been charged with corporate tax evasion
ArchiveThe Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago Gauguin sculpture is fake
The Bolton fraud
ArchiveLawsuits
Dodgy dealers, curators and collectors named in the Marion True trial in Rome
The latest in the trial of former Getty antiquities curator, Marion True, and the Paris-based dealer Robert Hech both charged with conspiring to receive illegally excavated antiquities
ArchiveBanksy
Revealed: the eBay Banksy print fraud
Unauthorised works by the anonymous graffiti artist have been sold on the internet; prices for these have been illegally inflated with fake bids
ArchiveArt market
Warhol Brillo boxes could be fake
Allegations circulate that curator Pontus Hultén created unauthorised replicas
ArchiveNews
Accountant alleges major fraud at art school founded by Andy Warhol
Charges focus on former executive director of the New York Academy of Art
ArchivePre-Colombian
Respected Pre-Colombian art dealers indicted over fraud
The Merrin brothers are accused of defrauding clients out of millions of dollars
ArchiveFraud
Former French Foreign Minister and a leading auctioneer ordered to trial over money kept back from Giacometti estate sales
Roland Dumas and Jacques Tajan face accusations of abuse of confidence after evidence suggests proceeds from auction were illicitly retained
ArchiveFakes & copies
The dangerous, fake-riddled world of Modiglianis
Death threats, market interests and too many specialists bedevil research into the subject
ArchiveCrime
Over 30 Manhattan art collectors have come forward voluntarily to pay $6 million in unpaid State sales tax on works of art
NY District Attorney promises amnesty for those who come forward while corporate executive Samuel Waksal enters a guilty plea for tax evasion
ArchiveArt market
Will art crime be more common in cyberspace?
What effect will the internet have on a market traditionally based on face-to-face contact and what are the implications of increased access to information?
ArchiveFakes & copies
Mastermind in Chagall, Nicholson and Giacometti forgery scam embarks upon six-year prison stay
John Drewe probably faked as many as 200 pictures, tampering with archive material and duping the experts
ArchiveFraud
Exploitation of the Tate Archives: Trial of accused paintings fraudster
John Drewe donated money to the Tate and allegedly doctored its documents
ArchiveFraud
Fraudulent former dealer duped Irish Georgian Society, cheated investors out of £1.8 million, and sent fake Expressionists to tour twelve US colleges
One of the most audacious art frauds in years has been exposed in an English court
ArchiveSouth Africa
Judge inconclusive on dealer responsibility as South African couple lose case on technicalities
Defendants' story was "reasonably possibly true"
ArchiveFraud
The hunting and capture of two fakers, Mr and Mrs "van den Bergen" arrested on charges of forgery
Ali Baba’s cave of forgeries uncovered: the crucial evidence lay in the fake certificates
ArchiveScotland Yard
Scotland Yard flushing out the fakes
Criminal proceedings over early English pottery fraud
ArchiveAlberto Giacometti
Giacometti trial ends with jail sentences and hefty fines for Jacques Redoutey and suppliers, guilty of the widespread production and sale of fake Giacometti furniture
Experts from auction houses have complained that so many fakes have entered the market that it is now difficult to identify an authentic Giacometti
ArchiveAlberto Giacometti
Your Diego Giacometti may well be a fake: Massive fraud network between Besançon, Geneva, Paris, London and New York
It is estimated that between 65-80% of Giacometti furniture and sculpture offered at auction since 1986 is fake
CommentArt law
Selling art online? Here are the legal pitfalls to avoid
Lawyer Petra Warrington on how to protect your business if you are holding online auctions, exhibiting and selling works on Instagram, or entering into sale contracts by email
Petra Warrington