'Fake: Forgery, Lies & eBay: Confessions of an Internet Con Artist'

by Kenneth Walton

It was the golden age of eBay. Optimistic bidders went online to the world's largest flea market in droves, ready to spend cash on everything from garden gnomes to Mercedes convertibles. Among them were art collectors willing to spend big money on unseen paintings, hoping to buy valuable pieces of art at below-market prices. EBay also attracted the occasional con artist unable to resist the temptation of abusing a system that prided itself on being "based on trust."Kenneth Walton -- once a lawyer bound by the ethics of his profession to uphold the law -- was seduced by just such a con artist and, eventually, became one himself. Ripped from the headlines of the "New York Times," the first newspaper to break the story, "Fake" describes Walton's innocent beginnings as an online art-trading hobbyist and details the downward spiral of greed that ultimately led to his federal felony conviction. What started out as a satisfying exercise in reselling thrift store paintings for a profit in order to pay back student loans and mounting credit card debt soon became a fierce addiction to the subtle deception of luring unsuspecting bidders into overpaying for paintings of questionable origins.In a landscape peopled with colorful eccentrics hoping to score museum-quality paintings at bargain prices, Walton entered into a partnership with Ken Fetterman, an unslick (yet somehow very effective) con man. Over the course of eighteen months they managed to take in hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling forged paintings and bidding on their own auctions to drive up the prices. When their deception was discovered and made international headlines, Walton found himself stalked by reporters and federal agents while Fetterman went on the lam, sparking a nationwide FBI manhunt. His elaborate game of cat and mouse lasted nearly three years, until the feds caught up with him after a routine traffic violation and brought him to justice.In this sensational story of the seductive power of greed, Kenneth Walton breaks his silence for the first time and, in his own words, details the international scandal that forever changed the way eBay does business.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Autobiography, Memoir

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book for a few cents at a library sale and it turned out to be a very readable book. I buy a lot of stuff on eBay so nothing here was much of a surprise to me but it was interesting to see how a sort of regular-guy, who was smart enough that he could have earned a living honestly, can slip down the slope of immaturity and fall into the pit of dishonesty and greed. It is also interesting to note how difficult it is for people, even experts, to tell the difference between valuable art and, well, not valuable, art. Two letters in the corner make all the difference.

At one point the author does discover a genuinely valuable painting at a thrift shop. In many other instances he finds unsigned paintings that resemble works by famous painters closely enough to pass for them at auction. Blake Gopnik gives his take on this in "In Praise of Art Forgeries" in the New York Times. There is much to be learned here: If you are decorating your home, shop at Goodwill and Salvation Army stores where the con artists shop.

The author gave the most concise and honest (surprise!) explanation I've seen why there are so few forgers of the old masters and so many forgers from the impressionists to now. Yes, of course, he makes such a big deal about his feelings of guilt over forging the signature on that one painting that we feel that we are being conned but, he was a con man, so what do you expect? On the other hand, I had trouble relating to his victims. I have nothing whatsoever in common with a person who bids over $100,000 on a painting on eBay or anywhere else.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perversely fascinating tale of a lawyer who tosses his ethics aside and sells questionable paintings on Ebay. Before long he's actually committing fraud and forgery and as readers we are right there watching his life, reputation and career go down the drain.

[Kwame Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely not an example of innovative literature, but it is a fun story. It highlights the importance of experimenting with innovative tech and platforms and trying to do what one innately enjoys. On a more serious note it highlights so many stories of crime and fraud. Quietly ignoring one moral gave rise to ignoring another until the author was in an investigator’s crosshairs. To paraphrase the book, the federal government has an unlimited budget when it pursues a suspect, so think carefully about meeting them in court. The author was lucky. He had a loving and generous set of family and friends who helped him through his ordeal. His actions were wrong, but the strength of his support network helped him correct his course . This is a great read for technologists and “true crime” fans.

[Kate Gould · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kenneth Walton is sorry: to his friends, parents, ex-girlfriends, and the people he conned into buying forged paintings on eBay. “I’ve met my inner con man,” he says, “and I can never again pretend I don’t know him.” This inner con man tells the story of Walton’s venture into internet fraud in which he went from a middling lawyer to an ersatz art dealer, forging artists’ signatures and palming off junkshop paintings as masterpieces. He worked with other sellers, setting up fake eBay IDs and making shill bids on each other’s items to inflate prices, until he got caught selling a forgery for $135,858 and arrested. The book is entertaining enough – although it could do with being 100 pages shorter – but Walton is just too apologetic. We all know stealing is wrong; an unrepentant fraudster’s take on it could have been far more interesting, especially now he’s presumably making a profit selling the story.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fake is a gripping real-life tale of Kenneth Walton's growth from small-time seller on eBay to a full-fledged internet swindler, selling art forgeries for ridiculous amounts of money.

I literally couldn't put this book down, and that says something for a first-time author like Walton. What makes Walton's story so fascinating is that he takes the reader through his thought process that led him to a decision that destroyed his life.

[Mike Zickar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting book that was a quick read. Walton got caught up in a scheme of misrepresenting paintings to eBay users to make them think that they were buying works by important artists, as well as inflating prices by having fellow users who were in the con to bid on each others' paintings. He eventually hits it big when users think he had a Diebenkorn in his garage and bidding goes up to over $100,000. I remember that when it was happening and its fascinating to read the backstory.

There were two interesting parts to this story. The first was fascinating about how Walton and colleagues would scour the local California Goodwill stores and antique shops and find paintings that were worth more money than people realize. He really could have made a legitimate business out of this as he was talented at finding good paintings and marketing them.

But more importantly, this is a moral tale, a reminder that small ethical lapses often feed into larger ethical lapses and all can be rationalized away. I don't know what Walton is up to today but he is a good writer and I enjoyed reading this tale.

[Marc Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Page turner

The book/story is great. It made you think about what goes on in eBay world.
I was also worrying about if he was going to be caught, and if caught, how would the prosecution proceed……
All the way to the end I couldn’t predict what would happen.
For sure there’s a lesson to be learned from the story.

[Magill · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as books about art crime go, Provenance was a more gripping read. But this was readable and, if some people find the mea culpas a bit too much, you have to give the author some credit for revealing himself to be immature, weak, dishonest and greedy. Made you want to kick the guy in the pants or knock some sense into him, but then getting caught and charged and dis-barred seems to have had some effect.

Fact is, though, that shill bidding still happens on eBay, seems like no-win or seemingly 1st time bidders come in make a single bid and are never seen on the auction again. The author's mistake, doing to too often and drawing attention to himself with a big sale.

[Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

- EBay's popularity exploded in the late 1990's as millions of bidders went online to the largest flea-market on earth, ready to spend cash on everything from garden gnomes to Mercedes convertibles (and now - yachts, airplanes, and real-estate). Among them were art collectors willing to spend big money on unseen paintings, hoping to buy valuable pieces at below-market prices. EBay also attracted the occasional con-artist, unable to resist the temptation of abusing a system that prided itself on being 'based on trust'. Kenneth Walton - once a lawyer...was being seduced by just such a con-artist, and eventually became one himself.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read about a man who sold forged paintings on Ebay for thousands of dollars and his eventual expulsion for the auction site. Anyone interested in art would find this book both fascinating and sickening as Kenneth Walton recounts his relationship with this partner and fellow art-forger Fetterman, his interaction with Ebay customers, and the shill bidding that pushed the price of the some paintings up over $30,000. The ending is sad and leaves the reader wondering if the old adage, "Once a con-man, always a con-man" is true.

[Miychen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more readable than I actually expected- literally sat down and read it in one go. Walton's voice is easy to follow, and it's easy to feel sympathy for the huge forgery scam he was embroiled in. Though not quite as exciting as I'd expected (Walton's job wasn't actually forging artworks per se, but selling off crap pieces and passing them off as genuine on eBay), it's still eye-opening and pretty interesting. The book has a significant focus on Walton's personal life as well, and how his art business affects it.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aieee. Creeps ripping off honest folks on eBay. Also creeps making excuses for bad behaviour and rationalizing stealing. Thoroughly despicable author goes from lawyer to cheat to forger. One wonders what sort of a person then writes it all up, almost proudly, and publishes it. After this book, I needed a shower. With steel wool to get the really sticky nasty bits off. Walton is a decent writer, it's the sordid details that got me down.

[Sheena Tahilramani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story. How anyone thought they could get away with this more than once is beyond any level of stupidity. Ken Walton got exactly what he deserved and as someone who has (almost) been scammed on eBay (much smaller amount than any of Mr. Walton's dealings), I am glad the defrauded received their money back.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Suspense, drama, intrigue along with the compelling choices and consequences that changed the author's life in an unimaginable way. Difficult to put down as you ride the roller coaster of the authors daily choices, revelations and sometimes ironic outcomes. I highly recommend this!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this easy read. Finished in 2 days. It tells the story of a highly educated man who essentially became addicted to EBay back in the day and went down the slippery slope of lies and easy money until he crashed. It's written as a confession with the emotional and legal stress woven in. Overall, a good book.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written story of how one man got sucked into the fast money of ebay and the repercussions of his actions. My favorite line was on page 294, "But a life is shaped by a series of small decisions, and the choices that led me to where I was began long before I spotted the orange and green painting in that shop in Pearblossom."

[Natalie Kling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great true story of the first high profile corruption story of eBay. It's also a great art forgery story. This book is written from the seller/art forger perspective. The author is also a lawyer. I don't completely believe his story, but it is still a good one.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story about art fraud on eBay from a guy whose remorse for his part in the whole thing I believe. He describes how he got into it, the moral compromises along the way, and what the choices he made ultimately cost. And, in the end, I liked the guy. Nicely done.

[Deron Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick read, but would have liked some more details on the forgeries. Sidebars with short interviews of other people involved in the case would have rounded it out nicely. Still, enjoyable, interesting read.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ken Walton used Ebay to compulsively re-sell art--faked, forged, and otherwise misrepresented. He got caught and wrote a book about it. His story is straightforward, if it can be believed.

[Trista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken is a friend of mine - This is a great read and true all the way through!

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's true. That guy that I knew is mentioned several times by name in this book. Other than that, it's a fairly interesting read in the "people I don't like doing things I don't want" category.

[Minusman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother wrote this book.

[Tjoh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting view of the early days of eBay and the internet...