Josh Hoopes Scams Two More On DeviantArt

[Rich Johnston]

Posing as Greg Garwood, Josh Hoopes has scammed two more people.

Jessica writes;

I posted on the DeviantArt forum job section enlisting a comic artist for a short story. ?*Many replied, but he was the most persistant and cordial. ?*I'd ask for character drawings as an audition and he was able to produce one, so he seem legitimate. ?*I eventually went with him and agreed to pay half 50% the cost to produce the comic and pay the other half after completion. ?*I'm now out $625.

Here's the image in question. It might actually be his own work, if swiped, but if it is another unwitting artist, please do get in touch. He is using the identities Joshua <artistorms@gmail.com>, Gregory Garwood <accountings@rocketmail.com> and this DeviantArt account.



I am recommending Jessica contact Paypal to try and get the charge reversed. Something Michael has done. He tells me;

I am using deviantART.com to recruit artists for a project I have.?* The long and short of it is, I play Dungeons + Dragons, am working on building my own personal campaign and need artists to do the illustrations for me.He is on that site, with multiple accounts, signing up for freelance jobs like the one I am offering.?* He takes a down payment then either never completes the work or tries to give you artwork he stole from online.Apparently he has had issues with paypal too.?* They were closing and locking some of his accounts.

Here's hoping. Here is some of the art Josh is currently using to con people. As well as the usual artists he's stolen from like Lalit Kamal, he adds some more. As ever, anyone conned by Josh Hoopes is urged to contact comicartjustice@gmail.com.

[starman]

I recognize Michael Turner's art.

[ShinAkuma666]

I wish that someone that knows him would try to stop him because lets face it, its not gonna end up well for that scam artist...

[die-yng]

You come back after months and the first thing you see is that Hoopes is still up to his usual scams. Is there no way to get this guy into the hands of the law?

[CammyKnoxville]

Yeah, I'm seeing Michael Turner in a lot of those drawings. He's reached a new level of scumbaggery if he's now swiping from the dead.

[Clavius]

Call me ignorant if you wish buuuut can't DA simply block his IP address? I know a few online forums I'm on when they ban someone be it for a week or forever don't just ban the persons account but IP address. This guy though is scum hopefully Karma one day will pay him back in spades.

[hellblazer72]

Yeah, I'm seeing Michael Turner in a lot of those drawings. He's reached a new level of scumbaggery if he's now swiping from the dead.

Or the artist he's swiping from draw in that Michael turner style, either way it's pretty sad.

[_OM_]

I recognize Michael Turner's art.

...Yep. The basic Anorexic Lass body is apparent in almost all of those images. However, he may have done a little tweaking, because ICSTR ever seeing Turner do a drawing of Sue Richards with boobs that rival Power Girl's.

You come back after months and the first thing you see is that Hoopes is still up to his usual scams. Is there no way to get this guy into the hands of the law?

...Where the frack *have* you been, on that note?

[Evilsmurf]

Is this not illegal here, it doesnt count as fraud?

[_OM_]

Call me ignorant if you wish buuuut can't DA simply block his IP address? I know a few online forums I'm on when they ban someone be it for a week or forever don't just ban the persons account but IP address.

...Banning/blocking IP addys only works if the troll/moron/scammer is using a fixed IP address. Using an IP munger or anonymizer like TOR, or even just logging in from a different access point is enough to get someone past any such blocking attempts. Granted, they'll probably have to create a new account and start from scratch, but internet security is like copy protection: for every way to block someone out, there's at least five ways for them to get back in, and at least two of them you probably can't do shit about anyway.