Father-daughter duo duped New York City art world with at least 200 fake Banksy, Warhols, Wyeths, prosecutors say

Key Points:

• Karolina Bankowska and her father Erwin Bankowski pleaded guilty to defrauding buyers, including major New York auction houses, by selling at least $2 million worth of forged artworks, many imitating famous artists like Andrew Wyeth, Banksy, and Andy Warhol.
• The counterfeit paintings were created by a Polish artist starting in 2020, using antique paper and forged gallery stamps to mimic provenance, with some fakes sold for significant sums, such as a $160,000 fake Richard Mayhew piece.
• The duo faces charges of wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American-produced goods, with potential prison time exceeding three years, restitution of $1.9 million, and possible deportation.
• Experts highlight that art forgery is widespread and often undetected, noting this case is notable mainly because the forgers were caught, revealing vulnerabilities in the art market’s authentication processes.
• Auction houses involved have cooperated with authorities but largely declined to comment, while the defendants have expressed remorse and taken steps to return funds.