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Father-daughter duo sold fake Banksys and Warhols to NYC’s art houses in $2M scam

Nypost · · 746 words · By Associated Press
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/us-news/nj-father-daughter-duo-sold-fake-banksys-a…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 8
schedule Pending 5
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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“A little over a year ago, the New York City art dealer Robert Rogal received a visit to his private showroom from a young woman, who seemed eager to offload a family heirloom.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results from different news sources (AP) confirm that a little over a year ago, Robert Rogal was visited by a young woman who offered to sell a family heirloom.
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · NEW YORK (AP) — A little over a year ago, the New York City art dealer Robert Rogal received a visit to his private showroom from a young woman, who seemed eager to offload a family heirlo…
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2026-04-29/how-a-fat…
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web search NEUTRAL — The gallery was founded in the early 1980s by Gail and Robert Rogal, who would become an art world power couple. They established themselves initially as reputable art dealers of limited edition print…
https://www.rogallery.com/about/
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web search NEUTRAL — NEW YORK (AP) — A little over a year ago, the New York City art dealer Robert Rogal received a visit to his private showroom from a young woman, who seemed eager to offload a family heirloom.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/a-miami-couple-was-arre…
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“Introducing herself as Karolina Bankowska, she carried a framed painting signed by Andrew Wyeth, resembling the watercolor landscapes the celebrated artist had completed early in his career.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results from different news sources report that Karolina Bankowska introduced herself and carried a framed painting signed by Andrew Wyeth, resembling the artist's early watercolor landscapes.
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web search NEUTRAL — 14 hours ago · Introducing herself as Karolina Bankowska, she carried a framed painting signed by Andrew Wyeth, resembling the watercolor landscapes the celebrated artist had completed early in his ca…
https://www.aol.com/articles/father-daughter-duped-nycs-art-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Introducing herself as Karolina Bankowska, she carried a framed painting signed by Andrew Wyeth, resembling the watercolor landscapes the celebrated artist had completed early in his career. Intrigued…
https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/how-a-father-and-daughte…
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web search NEUTRAL — Introducing herself as Karolina Bankowska, she carried a framed painting signed by Andrew Wyeth, resembling the watercolor landscapes the celebrated artist had completed early in his career.
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2026-04-29/how-a-fat…
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“In fact, Rogal now believes the painting was a fake — one of at least 200 carefully designed imitations that federal prosecutors say Bankowska, 26, and her father Erwin Bankowski, 50, tried to pass off to unwitting buyers.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that federal prosecutors alleged that Bankowska (26) and her father Erwin Bankowski (50) attempted to sell at least 200 fake paintings, and that Rogal believed the painting was a fake.
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web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/30/father-daugh…
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web search NEUTRAL — In fact, Rogal now believes the painting was a fake — one of at least 200 carefully designed imitations that federal prosecutors say Bankowska, 26, and her father Erwin Bankowski, 50, tried to pass of…
https://www.wwno.org/npr-news/2026-04-30/how-a-father-and-da…
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web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://vk.com/wall-69328779_258563
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“On Tuesday, the duo pleaded guilty to defrauding their victims — including some of New York City’s most prominent fine art auction houses — of at least $2 million.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results from different news sources confirm that on Tuesday, the duo pleaded guilty to defrauding victims, including NYC auction houses, of at least $2 million.
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Erwin Bankowski and Karolina Bankowska pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresentation of Native American produced good…
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/two-individuals-plead-g…
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Erwin Bankowski and Karolina Bankowska, of New Jersey, commissioned a Polish artist to create counterfeit artworks that sold for a total of over $2 million.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/nyregion/banksy-fakes.htm…
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web search NEUTRAL — 13 hours ago · On Tuesday, the duo pleaded guilty to defrauding their victims — including some of New York City’s most prominent fine art auction houses — of at least $2 million.
https://apnews.com/article/andy-warhol-nyc-art-fake-bankowsk…
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“The counterfeits, which were forged in Poland by an unnamed co-conspirator, were often reproductions of lesser-known works by prominent and prolific artists, like Banksy and Andy Warhol, prosecutors said.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that the counterfeits were forged in Poland by an unnamed co-conspirator and were reproductions of works by prominent artists like Banksy and Andy Warhol.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The year 2021 in art involved various significant events.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_in_art
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A diptych (, DIP-tick) is an object made up of two flat plates or panels that form a pair, often joined by a hinge. In the ancient world, for example, the standard notebook or school exercise book oft…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diptych
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the highest known prices paid for paintings. The record payment for a work is approximately US $450.3 million (which includes commission) for the work Salvator Mundi (c. 1500) genera…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintin…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Their most profitable fake, purportedly by the artist Richard Mayhew, was sold by the auction house DuMouchelles last October for $160,000.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results confirm that DuMouchelles sold a fake painting, purportedly by Richard Mayhew, for $160,000 last October.
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web search NEUTRAL — Their most profitable fake, purportedly by the artist Richard Mayhew, was sold by the auction house DuMouchelles last October for $160,000. A representative for DuMouchelles said they had cooperated w…
https://www.wwno.org/npr-news/2026-04-30/how-a-father-and-da…
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web search NEUTRAL — The most profitable fake – purportedly by artist Richard Mayhew – was sold by auction house DuMouchelles last October for $160,000.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/30/father-daugh…
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web search NEUTRAL — Up to 10,000 fake works sold over decades and attributed to Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau , known as the “Picasso of the North,” netted some $100 million in criminal profits.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-father-and-daugh…
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“Several other auction houses targeted in the scheme, including Bonhams, Phillips, Freeman’s and Antique Arena, either declined or did not respond to inquiries.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that other auction houses targeted in the scheme included Bonhams, Phillips, Freeman's, and Antique Arena.
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web search NEUTRAL — Bonhams is a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. It was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brook…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonhams
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web search NEUTRAL — Several other auction houses targeted in the scheme, including Bonhams, Phillips, Freeman's and Antique Arena, either declined or did not respond to inquiries.
https://www.wwno.org/npr-news/2026-04-30/how-a-father-and-da…
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web search NEUTRAL — Auction results - Bonhams.
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/results/
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“The father and daughter — Polish citizens living in New Jersey — face charges of wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American–produced goods, a charge stemming from their duplication of the Luiseño artist, Fritz Scholder.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results from different news sources confirm that Karolina and Erwin Bankowski, Polish citizens living in New Jersey, face charges of wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American goods, specifically related to duplicating Fritz Scholder's work.
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Erwin Bankowski and Karolina Bankowska pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresentation of Native American produced good…
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/two-individuals-plead-g…
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Erwin Bankowski and Karolina Bankowska, of New Jersey, commissioned a Polish artist to create counterfeit artworks that sold for a total of over $2 million.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/nyregion/banksy-fakes.htm…
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 hour ago · The father and daughter — Polish citizens living in New Jersey — face charges of wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American–produced goods, a charge stemming from their ...
https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/us-news/nj-father-daughter-duo…
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“They face the possibility of more than three years in prison under federal guidelines, in addition to $1.9 million in restitution and possible deportation to Poland.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the evidence gathering step for this claim, making it impossible to verify or corroborate the stated penalties and restitution amounts.
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“Prosecutors said the father and daughter began commissioning a Polish artist in 2020 to create the fake artworks.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the evidence gathering step for this claim, making it impossible to verify or corroborate the stated timeline of commissioning the artworks.
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“Using antique paper, they also forged stamps to attach to the paintings, adopting the names of since-shuttered galleries where a given artist might have plausibly shown their work.”
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“In March 2023, representatives for the artist Raimonds Staprans caught wind of a forged painting, “Triple Boats,” for sale by an auction house.”
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“The gallery stamp on the back of the faked Wyeth, for example, listed its year as 1976, but included a zoning address number that had been phased out in 1962.”
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“Coincidentally, perhaps, the fake stamp bore the name and address for M. Knoedler & Co. One of New York’s oldest and most esteemed commercial galleries, Knoedler closed down in 2011 amid allegations of profiting from forgeries of paintings by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and others.”
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“Prosecutors said the father and daughter began commissioning a Polish artist in 2020 to create the fake artworks.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.