Fanfiction Art Commission Scammers: Critique

Catch up on what you missed: Baited.

The description angeladraws29 puts on "the Image" (as I've so dubbed it) is strange, especially since they told me it was a book cover someone commissioned them to do. While I am not a commission artist, normally I would expect them to be fairly thrilled that a work was commissioned, that they'd say who it was for, or what it was for--or that you, too, can have them commission a piece.

Instead, Angela says this:

Seven figures, seven legacies standing side by side beneath a shared horizon.
This illustration explores contrast and harmony strength expressed through posture, color, and quiet confidence rather than motion. Each heroine holds her ground, distinct yet connected, framed in a moment of collective stillness before action begins.Created as a fanart study of character presence and visual rhythm, focusing on balance, expression and a clean animated aesthetic.

The art writer in me is critiquing when I really shouldn't be giving it the time of day. Why are three of them crossing their arms? Why is Harley Quinn up front? I'm not a huge DC fan; I can't identify three of these women. Why is there so much empty space up top--what's its purpose? Why is the woman on the far right dealing with a camel toe? Wouldn't Supergirl be better served in her iconic hands-on-hips pose? Wonder Woman with her forearms crossed at the ready? Where's the whip? I have so many questions.

The only answer is "AI did it."

Back to the chat. (I go out of my way to quote their description of The Image.)

• Pixel: Created as a fanart study of character presence and visual rhythm, focusing on balance, expression and a clean animated aesthetic.
• Pixel: I'm confused. This doesn't appear to be a book cover
• Angela: Dear this is a book cover and this one is also uploaded on my website
• Angela: Now kindly tell me are you interested in amending your story into comic ?
• Pixel: I'd love to tell you, but you haven't told me if you're okay with doing a single mock up panel
• Angela: Dear i can't do it for free i've done this many times and i got scammed
• Angela: if you've some kinda issues so we'll start with an upfront of few dollars and rest when your 1st page is done

Angela got scammed! Yeesh. What a world!

• Angela: In that way we both can built trust between us
• Pixel: How much would you like
• Angela: Let's start with an upfront of few dollars like $20-25
• Pixel: I would really rather you only do a single pane
• Angela: Firstly tell me how many pages do you want ?
• Pixel: Just to start with
• Pixel: And Numb Little Bug is not very long at all
• Angela: I told you the price of 1 panel
• Angela: so tell me how many pages do you want ?

I was unaware at the time, but having done a little more digging, $20-25 is considered a reasonable price for a first panel. This is not unusual.

What's unusual is the lack of discussion. In my mind--the struggling writer's mind, who hasn't adapted a fic to a comic before--the artist would probably be the one to determine how many pages a fic adaptation would need--I expect them to be the expert in the room.

So I say how many pages I want and make it exuberantly low. Mainly because I wouldn't torture a commission artist with my fanfiction to begin with, but also to drag this conversation out.

• Pixel: Two
• Angela: Dear two ??? your story has alot of words and it would take mim 5-6 pages
• Pixel: Right, but I'm just looking for a draft
• Angela: I'll draw a panel not a draft in just $20
• Angela: And if you like it so we'll work further
• Angela: How does it sounds ?
• Pixel: I'm asking for a draft because the styles on your website seem to vary a lot
• Pixel: Also, out of curiosity, has any other fic author taken you up on this offer?
• Angela: Yeah dear i worked with hundreds of authors becasue i'm doing this for 4-5 years

Every profile Angela has appears to have been opened in 2025. except for their Discord handle, which opened in 2019--it is the sole outlier in my investigation of this scheme.

• Pixel: Can I chat with the last one just as a reference?
• Angela: No dear
• Pixel: ??
• Angela: Because it's very difficult to get a client
• Pixel: So you haven't worked with other fic authors before?
• Pixel: Then why did you lie to me just now?
• Angela: I worked with alot of clients
• Angela: But i can't share my clients with anyone
• Pixel: You understand how suspicious that sounds, yes?
• Angela: Yess it is but i can't
• Angela: i've tried my best to built trust and even i told you about upfront to built a trust
• Angela: If i still seems suspecious so i can't do anything
• Pixel: Alright, I've thought on it. Please give me your payment details
• Angela: Do you have Paypal?
• Pixel: Wouldn't you prefer Osko?
• Angela: No sorry i don't have Osko
• Angela: Do you've l,Cashapp,Zelle or Venmo ?
• Angela: And if you don't have any one of them so you can also pay me through an invoice method
• Angela: In which you can pay through your bank credit card
• Pixel: I would prefer card. Can you tell me your account details?
• Angela: Can i share the invoice?
• Pixel: Will it include your account details??
• Angela: Yes, it’s included. Just share your email with me and I’ll create an invoice for you, so you can easily make the payment through it.
• Pixel: No thank you, Please just upload it here. 🙂
• Angela: Dear, I receive payments from many of my clients through invoices. Those who don’t have PayPal can easily pay via invoice it’s totally safe. I just need your email address so I can send the invoice to you. It’s an official method of payment.

There is really no need for Angela to ask for my email address, it's perfectly cromulent to print a PDF of a PayPal invoice unless you're technologically illiterate.

I should also mention that it's taking a while at this point for Angela to continue messaging me. I'm waiting ages between messages now. So I relent. I forward the false identity email I have, thanks to my Surfshark.

• Angela: Thanks for sharing
• Angela: I will send you invoice letter
• Angela: It's take's time to create an invoice

If this invoice happens to be a PayPal fill-in invoice, I'm going to be bitterly disappointed.