A High-Stakes Art Scam Exposed: Father and Daughter Duo Pleads Guilty to Counterfeiting Scheme In a shocking case of deception, a father-daughter duo from New Jersey has pleaded guilty to running a sophisticated counterfeiting operation that duped some of New York's most prominent fine art auction houses into purchasing forged paintings. Erwin Bankowski, 50, and Karolina Bankowska, 26, were accused of commissioning an artist in Poland to create at least 200 fake artworks attributed to renowned artists like Andy Warhol, Banksy, and Pablo Picasso. The scheme, which spanned years, allegedly netted the pair at least $2 million in ill-gotten gains. As the art world grapples with the implications of this high-profile case, the full extent of the Bankowskis' operation and the extent of their involvement with the art galleries and auction houses remain to be seen.
Pair apologise in court after being accused of defrauding buyers including some of New York’s most prominent fine art auction housesA father and daughter in New Jersey have pleaded guilty to running a years-long counterfeiting scheme to trick art galleries and auction houses into buying forged paintings of works by prominent artists such as Andy Warhol, Banksy and Pablo Picasso.Federal prosecutors said Erwin Bankowski, 50, and Karolina Bankowska, 26, commissioned an artist in Poland to create at least 200 of the fakes and ultimately defrauded buyers of at least $2m. Continue reading...
