by Kenneth Walton
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Product Description
Ripped from the headlines of the New York Times, Fake describes Kenneth Walton's innocent beginnings as a lawyer turned online art-trading hobbyist, whose satisfaction in reselling thrift store paintings for a profit soon became a fierce addiction to eBay. In a landscape peopled with colorful eccentrics hoping to score museum-quality paintings at bargain prices, Walton entered into a partnership with con man Ken Fetterman. Over the course of eighteen months they managed to take in hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling forged paintings and bidding on their own auctions to drive up the prices. When their deception was discovered and made international headlines, Walton found himself stalked by reporters and federal agents while Fetterman went on the lam, sparking a nationwide FBI manhunt.In this sensational story of the seductive power of greed, Kenneth Walton breaks his silence for the first time and details the international scandal that forever changed the way eBay does business.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 fast read, interesting memoir, 2009-07-27
This isn't the most well-written book but it is a fast read and an interesting one. At times it got a little self-serving but that's to be expected in a memoir of this type. I'd definitely recommend for people interested in learning a little more about the types of fraud that can take place on eBay. It's a good cautionary tale.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 A true story the reveals the redeeming power of honest confession and regret... and the building of character. , 2008-10-17
Kenneth Walton's book is a can't-put-down revelation of true character growth.
In the beginning, he describes himself as nothing more than a shallow, run-of-the-mill law school graduate who -- after only a year on the job -- was already desperate to escape his boring daily grind as just another faceless attorney at a large Sacramento law firm. I've known many young, newly-minted professionals (accountants, doctors, lawyers) in the same predicament: After investing years in their educations and taking on crushing student loans, they finally graduate and are suddenly faced with the reality of the inhuman hours, incredible stress, and limited options inherent in working for a large, traditional institution (as the author discovers, such big law firms are always the same, whether located in Sacramento or Paris). At that point, many start to desperately seek a way -- any way -- out of the madness. I know a couple of former corporate attorneys who are now much happier working at other jobs (rafting guide, truck driver) that have nothing whatsoever to do with the law...
Unfortunately for the young Mr. Walton, he didn't choose at that point to simply abandon the practice of law and run away to become an honest cowboy, fireman, plumber, Starbucks barrista, etc. Instead, he unhappily struggled on. Soon, his sad career plight was noticed by the slyly experienced Mr. Fetterman, who proceeded to milk Mr. Walton's desperation into a slippery plan to assist him in his lucrative eBay con games. However, since any successful con game depends on the greed and deception (especially self-deception) of BOTH the conner and the connee, Mr. Walton convinced himself to continue compromising his principles by acting as an eBay shill. He sank slowly ever deeper into his moral quagmire, mainly by choosing to adopt a Sgt Schultz outlook ("I know nothing... NOTHING!") towards the whole stinking mess. Eventually, the young lawyer gives up even that flimsy charade and commits a single act of deliberate forgery that explodes on eBay in a truly unforgettable manner.
Kenneth Walton is a wonderful storyteller. His clear prose and spare style move his tale of self-deception right along. I can't recall any other memoir that has impressed me so much for its sheer readability, and the honest and painful regret that is eventually expressed.
The real payoff (for both the author and reader) is in witnessing the amount of redeeming character growth which is experienced. In the end, he doesn't whine or complain about being treated unfairly, or try to justify his nefarious behavior. Rather, after finally coming clean, facing the music, making restitution, and accepting a felony conviction, Ken expresses sincere regret for his actions and the harm they caused to his victims (who were often working their own cons) and, most importantly, to his innocent friends and family members whom he let down (and who steadfastly stood by him as the saga unfolded). His denouement reminds me of the moral truth so forcefully expressed in the monologue by Danny DeVito's charactor at the end of the movie The Big Kahuna.
A great book!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Fake - Forgery, Lies, & eBAY, 2008-08-13
This great analysis of the internet market over eBAY has been passed through the art lovers in our family. Their response has been very interesting, indeed !
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
book far more intresting than title, 2008-04-05
Someone had recommended this book to me as a "good read". really didn't even know why I bought the book as I thought reading about ebay would be totally boring. Well I was wrong. The book sat on a shelf at my home for 3 months before I even opened the cover. Couldn't sleep one night and picked the book and started to read. I honestly couldn't put it down until I had finished from cover to cover. It is a great story and well written by the author. Whether you don't care about art or even Ebay this is an interesting story written in such a way that you find yourself totally emersed in the deceptions of an art forger who gets caught and the story line of getting caught and punished in a court of law. This is a good read.
0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
 a lawyer and a snitch..., 2008-03-30
This "author" is a liar, a lawyer, and a snitch. If you think it couldn't get any worse it does: he thinks his writing is clever. Wait for his victim (Fetterman)'s book.
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