Imposter Tattoo Artist Scam Making Its Way Through Local Facebook Groups

We previously covered the scams involving car detailing or duct cleaning offers that are often run on Facebook groups, including many local groups. A new scam has been on the rise the last few months involving people pretending to be tattoo artists and offering very inexpensive work.

We spoke with two administrators of local Facebook groups who told us that several of their group members have reached out after being scammed by imposter tattoo artists posting in the groups. Here’s how it works:

The imposter artist will join the group and share photos of their “work.” Usually that consists of a nice looking tattoo with a very generic caption, often thanking their client for being so patient or for dealing with the pain of getting the tattoo. On their profile, or in subsequent posts, they’ll offer massively discounted prices for their services. As soon as you show interest they’ll offer a story about how their clients have been booking appointments and not showing up, an issue that real tattoo artists have to deal with, and will require a deposit to book your appointment. After that deposit is made, you’ll be blocked on social media and your money will be gone.

Legitimate tattoo artists often require deposits, but they work out of local shops or have real reviews by real people listed publicly. The imposter artists behind these fraudulent posts appear to be real at first glance, but a deeper look will reveal just a few photos without much interaction on their profile. Many times the same person will post similar messages in Facebook groups across the country simultaneously, in hopes that someone will fall for the scam. Usually, they will have a Facebook profile that is only a couple months old.

The two local Facebook group administrators we spoke with have told us that most customers usually count it as a loss and move on because the amount of money was often under $100, but that it has occurred a handful of times in the last few weeks, causing concern.