My office will continue to be vigilant in taking action against any company, on or off-line, found to be violating New York state laws. Its eBay user site is registered to Jill Schuster, who is also known as Jill McEwen, and the suit alleges that the company s officers are Ms. Schuster and Jerry Schuster. Sometimes, after the company gave consumers refunds for phony works, it would then resell the very same works to other unsuspecting buyers. The suit alleges that the company sold these paintings with clear markings of authenticity, and without disclaimers of any sort. We commend Attorney General Spitzer on the successful investigation of this Internet forgery case.
Collectors can protect themselves from possible forgeries by working with reputable dealers.
Many dealers can authenticate works in their areas of specialization or make a referral to an appropriate expert. The suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleges false advertising, deceptive consumer practices, and violations of the New York Arts and Cultural Affairs Law. Consumers rely on sellers expertise and honesty in evaluating their art purchases, and when they sell relatively worthless pieces using the names of master artists, both the buyers and the art world as a whole are harmed. The case is being handled by A.A.G. Dreifach of Spitzer s Internet Bureau, under the direction of the Internet Bureau Chief Caitlin Halligan.