Father and daughter admit to $2M Banksy and Warhol art forgery scam

A father-daughter duo has admitted to orchestrating an elaborate art forgery scheme that defrauded New York City’s most prominent fine art auction houses and unwitting buyers out of at least $2 million.▶ LISTEN TO ORLANDO’S MORNING NEWS EXPRESS PODCAST ON WDBOThe operation involved creating meticulously designed imitations of artworks by celebrated artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol, and Andrew Wyeth, passing them off as genuine. The forgeries were forged in Poland using antique paper and fabricated stamps of defunct galleries to lend an air of authenticity. Karolina Bankowska, 26, and her father Erwin Bankowski, 50, face the possibility of more than three years in prison, $1.9 million in restitution, and potential deportation to Poland. The scheme has sent ripples through the art world, shedding light on a prevalent issue of art forgery.Click here to download our free news, weather and traffic app. And click here to subscribe to our daily 3 Big Things newsletter. Download the WDBO app ©2026 Cox Media Group