Report a fake

Three situations are covered: a document that imitates an OIMAP certificate, an OIMAP number used for the wrong artwork, or an artwork for which there are serious grounds to believe it is counterfeit.

Commercial disputes over the quality of an authentic artwork fall under a different procedure, presented in the arbitration section.

Describe the facts precisely: date, place, persons involved, nature of the document, OIMAP number if any. Attach photographs, a copy of the document and, if possible, the result of the online verification.

The better documented the report, the faster it can be handled. However, a mere suspicion may also be reported: the Secretariat's experts will sort it out.

Never destroy or alter the suspect document. Keep the original, the messages exchanged with the seller, invoices and screenshots. These items may be passed on to the competent authorities.

Avoid confronting the person concerned yourself. A discreet report preserves the possibility of an investigation.

The service receives the report, acknowledges receipt within twenty-four hours (indicative), then analyses the document with the Certification Directorate. If the forgery is confirmed, the number concerned is revoked or marked as misappropriated in the Registry.

The Organization may then alert the national authorities and, where appropriate, circulate an alert to accredited auction houses, without mentioning the name of the person reporting.

The person reporting may request anonymity with respect to third parties. Their identity is passed on only to judicial authorities and only upon requisition. Data are kept for the time necessary for the investigation.

A report made in good faith does not engage the liability of its author, even if the investigation ultimately concludes that there was no forgery.