Money Watch

The sale: Thousands of newly available, signed prints and etchings by Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Andy Warhol and others hit the art market beginning in the late 1990s. They often sold for top dollar in galleries worldwide and on EBay, complete with certificates of authenticity.

The charges: There was nothing authentic about these works, according to indictments announced by the FBI this month. They were counterfeits, right down to the signatures and certificates, the FBI said. The indictments, which came after a 2 1/2 -year investigation code-named Operation Dealer no Deal, charged seven people with counterfeiting and distributing the alleged fakes. The U.S. attorney for the northern district of Illinois charged that the scheme reaped at least $5 million. A Chicago-area art dealer, Michael Zabrin, was charged with selling the works on EBay. Zabrin’s attorney told the Chicago Tribune that his client was cooperating with the government.

Think you were taken? Those who suspect they might have purchased one of the alleged fakes can fill out the Fraudulent Art Complaint Referral form that’s available on the U.S. attorney’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln. Or they can call (866) 364-2621 toll-free to have a form mailed to them.

Info: More information on the FBI’s art theft program -- including the current list of the Top 10 Art Crimes -- is at www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/arttheft /arttheft.htm.