This is a PSA about a recent scam
It came to my attention that an individual claiming to be a tattoo artist had been DMing individuals that are supposed to be attending Aquatifur 2023. This individual ( who is not in any of the convention chats) had been asking people if they wanted to get tattooed in a hotel room using examples from another furry tattoo artist. This is not a new scam in the tattoo community, but has infiltrated the furry community.
Much like other scams, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Art, and fursuit scams are not new to the furry fandom so I wanted to go over some things to protect yourself from this type of tattoo scam.
In the event you get a DM from someone you don’t know wanting to sell you services or wares, your best bet is to not engage.
You should only be sending money, or other types of transactions with someone you know, or who has an established business or reputation.
Supporting local and unseen artists is something we strive to do but it is imperative that we pay attention and watch for signs of scammers.
In this tattoo incident I contacted the person who was trying to get deposits from people and at least I was able to see that the art was done from someone I know. I was able to let the con know that this was a scam.
Again the best course of action is to not respond to some random stranger offering you services, but here are some things to ask if you are not sure a person is legit if offering you tattoos
Ask for a website or a page where you can see all their work – most tattoo artists have an Instagram that has been established for a length of time. Anything brand new can be a red flag.
Ask if they have a shop you can look at the shop page and see if it’s a real place
Ask for a point of contact, like a phone number to verify the shop
Ask for proof of certification – all tattoo artists who are working legitimately will have a minimum of their bloodborne pathogens certification. Me personally I work out of Denver and have a physical license.
These are just a few things you can do, I also would like to put my service out there on this topic, I will do the digging for you if you’re unsure. Being a tattoo artist professionally for over 10 years now I can typically spot a tattoo scam a mile away! My Telegram messages are always open for questions/concerns/ etc.
Stay safe out there!!
Foxene