‘Scammers’ busted for peddling fake Damien Hirst prints

According the Manhattan DA’s Office, Vincent Lopreto, 48, and his partner, Ronald Bell, 49, of the Jazzartz gallery have been selling hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fake Damien Hirst prints on eBay and through auction houses.  The men used fake authentication letters, but were caught and reported to authorities after two New Yorker buyers became suspicious of their acquisitions, when they were being sold for tens of thousands less than the market supports. Furthermore, after an expert examined the works it was determined that, “the coloring, the spacing and paper is not consistent with genuine prints of original artwork by Damien Hirst.’’

’‘Scammers’ busted for peddling fake Damien Hirst prints