Review of “Fake: Forgery, Lies & eBay”

By Elliot Fruchtman

This book details Kenneth Walton’s involvement in fraudulent art auctions on eBay during the late 1990’s, which eventually led to his felony conviction and disbarment from the legal profession. Occurring during the early years of eBay, Walton and his associates used various tactics including “shill bidding,” deceptive descriptions, and forged paintings to defraud countless eBay buyers. Walton’s downfall occurred when he aroused the suspicions of the news media, the art world and the FBI by attempting to auction a thrift shop painting with the forged signature of Richard Diebenkorn.

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