Everythingisart.cc Magazine is a Scam!!

http://www.everythingisart.cc/ SCAMS!

Owner: Jennifer Vitalia
Email: Info@everythingisart.cc


First:
.cc instead of .com  is a designation for websites registered in the Cocos Islands. Registration through them is cheap and very loosely tracked. It also means that if you send money to an organization registered there and you get ripped off you have no real legal recourse unless you hapen to be a resident of said island. Food for thought.

An extra brain snack for you is that the population of the Island chain is less than 700 people so if a magazine was based there it wouldn't have a very high reader base even if a copy was mailed to every single resident. There's several free sites that are free and get you more exposures. Next blog we will educate artist how to post on these sites

Second
I wanted to put this blog out there to warn people aobut companies such as this that target impressionable emerging artists, promising them publicity, articles in magazines, representations etc. Who are only out there to make pofits. 

Advise for Artists

Advice for artists:

Artshow.com's Tips for Entering Art Competitions "Investing in Your Career: A Worthwhile Risk?" by Daniel Grant Paying to Exhibit Your Work in Vanity Galleries (NYFA column) Contracts with Galleries & Collectors (NYFA column) "When to See an Art Attorney" by Alan Bamberger "Common Artist Legal Problems and How to Avoid Them" by Alan Bamberger Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts "Copyright for Artists: FAQ" by About.com columnist, Marion Boddy-Evans "Copyright in Visual Arts" by Thomas G. Field, Jr. "Design Risks" by Tad Crawford United States Copyright Office - explains how to register your artwork Springboard for the Arts: Legal and Copyright Forms Porterfield's Fine Art Licensing Tips "Should You License or Assign Your Art?" by Attorney Richard Stim The Do's and Don'ts of Art Licensing "Digital Art Giclee Print Options for Artists" by Alan Bamberger Organizations and government agencies devoted to protecting you from fraud, scams and ripoffs: FTC's Tips for Dealing with Spam Emails FTC's Information Resources for Identity Theft, Privacy, & Security FTC's Identity Theft Site to help you deter, detect, and defend against identity theft FTC's Information Resources for Web Scams FTC's Information Resource for Computers & the Internet UK Home Office Identity Fraud Steering Committee OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office Antiphishing Working Group Internet Crime Complaint Center National Consumer's League Fraud Center: Internet Fraud National Association of Attorney's General Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section: Mass-Marketing Fraud OnGuard Online's Guide to Spam Scams Clark Howard's Consumer Advice Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

Ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a scam

Ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a scam:

1. Be skeptical...
   Artists are increasingly being targeted in Internet scams. After all, what artist hasn't dreamed of being "discovered" and selling several works of art to an admiring collector or a wealthy buyer? A few tell-tale signs to look for in any email you receive from a prospective buyer: misspelled words, poor grammar, and an urgent overseas buyer (particularly one from Nigeria). They also typically want to make the shipping arrangements themselves or have someone pick the work up for them, rather than have you ship it to them. More often than not, you can do an internet search on the fraudulent person's name or email address and find other people who have received similar emails from them.
   Examples of email scams aimed at artists »
   More info about art-related email scams, including known scammer names & email addresses »
2. Never ship your artwork to someone without making sure the payment has cleared.
   Be aware that even though your bank may give you cash for cashier's checks and postal money orders, they can still be counterfeit. Cashier's checks and postal money orders can take up to a month to fully clear. If the payment turns out to be fraudulent, you could be held responsible for the entire amount withdrawn from your bank.
3. Beware if you have been overpaid for an item you are selling by cashier's check or postal money order and have been instructed to return the overpayment amount to the buyer or other party.
   Never agree to return an overpayment. See explanation #2 above.
4. Don't deal with persons who insist it is "urgent" or those who claim that they need the item in a hurry (perhaps for a gift).
   Con artists will try to pressure you so you don't have time to ensure the funds have cleared. Honest buyers should understand that you need to wait until their check has had time to clear.
5. Perform due diligence if a gallery wants to exhibit your work, or a company wants to license your art.
   Check with the local better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce as well as your Attorney General's office to find out if they are a legitimate business and to learn if there have been any complaints lodged against them. Insist on a contract with all of the terms in writing, signed and dated by both parties. Carefully scrutinize the document and read all terms of the agreement before signing. Don't sign anything you are uncomfortable with or anything you do not fully understand. Remember too that contract terms are often negotiable.
   More advice for artists »
6. Beware of vanity galleries and publishers who charge artists to have their work included in an exhibition or publication.
   Vanity galleries charge exhibition fees for artists to exhibit their work, rather than commissions on sales. The fees can be very high and the galleries do not have an incentive to effectively promote your work since they make their money from exhibition fees, rather than sales of your art. The same is true for vanity publications - publishers who charge artists to have their work published.
   More advice for artists »
7. Beware of phony emails disguised as legitimate businesses.
   Criminals attempt to get you to provide personal and confidential information, such as online IDs and passwords, or Social Security numbers and account numbers by posing as your bank, an online payment service such as PayPal (read PayPal's Phishing Guide here), a Credit Card company, or just about any company with which you might do business. These emails, referred to as "phishing", often use text, images, or logos from the legitimate site to fool you. Typically, they make claims that your account has been compromised, needs to be updated, or is soon to become inactivate. Do not reply or click on any links provided in such emails. If you believe you may actually need to update your credit card information, etc., open a web browser and type in the company's website address yourself. Log in to your account and proceed from there. The FTC recommends that you forward spam that is phishing for information to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing email. NOTE: Many companies now post consumer fraud alerts on their websites and often provide an email address for reporting fraudulent or suspicious emails that use their company name. Also, the latest version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (version 7) includes a new Phishing Filter that alerts you when a website appears to be fraudulent.
   Examples of fraudulent PayPal emails »
8. Beware of emails from a Nigerian or other foreign government official requesting assistance in the transfer of excess funds from a foreign country into your bank account.
   Again, these scam artists attempt to steal your money. The persons perpetrating these scams are considered extremely dangerous.
9. Safeguard your online transactions to help prevent identity theft or unauthorized credit card charges. Purchase only from a trusted retailer or use an online payment service, such as PayPal, which allows you to shop without sharing financial information. Website pages which request financial information, such as credit card numbers, should always have a website address that begins with "https". The "s" lets you know that your personal information is encrypted when it is sent, preventing unauthorized people from seeing the information that is sent across the Internet. Also, a padlock symbol is displayed by some web browsers (usually in the status bar in the bottom right hand corner) to indicate you are viewing a secure web page. Never send personal or financial information, including credit card numbers, in an email. Emails are not transmitted securely across the Internet.
   5 Actions to help protect yourself from identity theft »
10. Protect your computer from viruses, spyware, adware, worms, trojans, or other malware.
    Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software programs (offered by companies such as McAfee or Symantec), and keep them up to date. Also, use a firewall to shield access to your computer. Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them (It is easy for someone to fake their true identity). Never open email attachments with a .exe, .pif, or .vbs filename extension or a double extension, like "heythere.doc.pif". Finally, use pop-up blockers to avoid pop-up advertisements which can harbor dangerous spyware or adware.
11. Don't open spam. Delete it unread.
    Spam can be used to access computers without authorization and transmit viruses. Never respond to spam as this will confirm to the sender that it is a "live" email address. Have a primary and secondary email address - one for people you know and one for all other purposes. Avoid giving out your email address unless you know how it will be used. Never purchase anything advertised through an unsolicited email.
12. Don't forward hoax emails.
    Check to see if an email you receive is really just a hoax: About.com's Hoax Encyclopedia »
13. If you suspect fraud or are a victim of fraud, take action.
    Contact your State Attorney General's Office of Consumer Affairs if you are uncertain or suspicious of a telephone, mail or email solicitation. If you feel you have been the victim of fraud, you can access the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) at http://www.ic3.gov/ or contact the Federal Trade Commission through their web site at http://www.ftc.gov/. Forward spam that is phishing for information to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing email. Most organizations have information on their websites about where to report problems. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these new accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. You may catch an incident early if you order a free copy of your credit report periodically from any of the three major credit bureaus. See http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ for details on ordering a free annual credit report. You can learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam at www.ftc.gov/spam
14. Stay informed by keeping abreast of consumer fraud trends.
    
    Several artists have already fallen victim to the scams described above, and it is our sincere hope that the advice provided here will prevent this from happening to other artists. There are also other website resources that provide excellent sources of information.

What to do if you have been part of a Scam or been taking advantage of?

If you have been a victim of fraud or scam.   Remember you are a consumer and you have every right. Don't stay quite because the longer you wait the longer other people will be taken advantage of.

Go to the following site and report a complaint to either the Federal Trade Commission or your State Division of Consumer affairs


https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Artist beware of Scams and unclear contracts!

 Beware of www.everythingisart.cc Magazine

This is a message for all the artist that are trying to submit to www.everythingisart.cc 
Several artists are being asked to upfront money that ranges from $100 to $300 just to get there art published. In addition they are asking for an additional $45 if you want to purchase the hard-copy of the magazine you were personally published in. It doesn't end there, they are asking for an additional $250 or more if you want to advertise your art on the website. Lastly the contract that you are signing doesn't mention costs or fees. Just ask the questions when you are submitting, be aware of what you are getting yourself into and research the facts.

The truth of the matter is when you receive the contract is should have the fees that you will be responsible for.but nowhere does it mention the packages costs that i listed below.  Also the magazine is able to make profit from web advertisements and magazine subscriptions, artists should not be the one paying to play.
This list was posted on facebook by another upset artist on Everything Is Art Magazine Facebook page and was later deleted by Jennifer Vitalia herself.

what does it really cost you to be in http://www.everythingisart.cc/

Silver Package: $50
2 FULL high-quality images, page size spread with full color, including artists' name and contact information.
Publishing in our on-line magazine, as well as Kindle, E-Book, and print editions.

Gold Package: $150
3-4 page spread full color, high-quality images of artwork and bio within the body of text.
All of the perks of a Silver Package, but also a feature on the Everything Is Art blog with hot-linking capability and promotion of your work via social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc)

Platinum Package: $300
5-6 page spread with full color, high-quality images of artwork and bio within the body of text.
All the perks of the Gold package included. Publishing in our E-Book and print editions, hot-linking capability and promotion via social media platforms.
A spotlight on the website as our Featured Artist, with links to your website and contact info. Note: A spotlight entails a feature image and showcase on the website.
 


 Artist always research, read the contracts and don't be afraid to ask questions about what the magazine will offer you and how much will it cost you.