Beware: Mechogama/CLEAM/MechoMan

Original Agreement + Proof:

I was contacted by Mechogama through my FA notes on Oct. 11, 2021 with an offer to draw two individual pieces of my horse sona for a total price of $300, fully colored with background. After a cursory investigation there was an art trail showing that despite the out-of-the-blue solicitation the artist did have a track record of delivering and agreed to the proposition and we exchanged Discord contacts.

Fig 1.0: Initial message over Furaffinity

Fig. 2.0: Initial Discord message to establish continuity of account “HACKED” being Cleam/Mechogama the name had been CLEAM as of initial conversation but latter events lead to a name change and new account.

After establishing that we were who we said we were we got down to brass tax. My quote for the work would be:

2 Pieces @ $150 ea.

-          Fully Colored

-          Background Included

-          Multi-Character with central focus on my horse

Fig. 2.1: Reiteration of agreement, addition of update schedule and providing an EOD sketch.

Fig. 2.2: Transactional Proof

Things proceed apace in payment but the end of day sketch and the 2 day update schedule do not come.

Fig. 3.0: Sudden request for more money under false pretenses

A request for $50 instead arrives in confusing format with me initially mistaking it as an attempt to be upcharged. No work has been completed thus far and I let the artist know my qualms with the sudden request.

It has been about a week and a half since our initial conversation and I approach Mechogama about our agreement.

Fig 4.0: CLEAM as shown in cap is original avatar and name of account as can be seen in Fig. 2.1. I am told that I will receive an update when he returns home.

While I do not receive said sketch at the end of the day, I do receive initial sketches 4 days afterward.

Fig. 4.1: Initial sketches arrive

By this point I believe the artist is just pre-occupied and am willing to acquiesce to the slight delays. I do not hear from Mechogama again until Nov. 11 2021.

Fig. 4.2: Mechogama let’s me know that he is still aware of my commission.

Fig. 4.3: Mechogama contacts me again about alleged technical issues with his computer and a timeline for repair + compensation for the trouble.

We would discuss some specifics of the commission again on 12/04/2021 and I would hear from him one last time on 12/25/2021 before radio silence on that account.

Fig. 4.4: Offer for more pictures, details on an after-pic, no agreement on paying for after-images but semi-regular communication seemed apparent.

Fig 4.5: Last message received from the original CLEAM account before allegations of being hacked would appear nearly a month later in Mechogama’s first Discord chat: “The Dirty Paw”.

Fig. 5.0: Mechogama alerts his server that his account has been hacked. It has been one month since I have heard from him. The details of the hack are slightly suspicious but seems to be standard Discord phishing. The account in question was never deleted but the alleged hacker had since deleted their's.

Fig. 5.1: Supporting evidence of the hack, names have been removed aside from mine for the server-wide alert. Server effectively dies.

By this point I had not been aware of the hack as I had been busy with my courses, however after another month I would contact Mechogama through FA after having seen no attempt to get back in touch with commissioners or announcement from any other source of information. I had discovered that this alleged hack occurred while trying to get a hold of Mechogama about my commission.

Fig. 5.2: I messaged Mechogama on FA and he promptly responded to me. This is the first time I’ve spoken with him since Dec. 25, 2021.

I join the Discord to find it hosting some people but far less lively than before, there is evidence of some activity and posts. This allows me access to Mechogama’s new iteration of CLEAM to continue trying to find a resolution to this commission issue.

Fig. 5.3: My attempt over the last half a month to get information and this apparent ‘update’ on my commission. I had messaged CLEAM at various hours to get his attention, and it is obvious that he had been avoiding responding.

At this point I had decided that this commission was never going to see the light of day and that I wanted a refund. Due to Mechogama refusing to answer my DM directly, even while online in “League of Legends” as his account status showed, I posted an @CLEAM into his new Discord: “Furry4Ever” to get his attention, the contents including the information on his avoidance of me. He promptly deleted the message in the public Discord and finally responded to me in DM.

Fig. 5.4: After my notice in his Discord server, Cleam/Mechogama finally deigns it appropriate to respond to me and promptly removes me from his Discord group.

Finally, after months of silence, I am granted my audience and he agrees to refund me. As of the time of this Artist Beware I am awaiting confirmation from Paypal that my refund has been processed, however I am not convinced that it will not be forced into claim status. Mechogama immediately went back to play League of Legends after the outburst at the end and no update on my refund through Paypal has been shown nor has he responded to my question regarding if he has even seen the refund request.

Fig. 5.5: Outlandish response to request for refund, I inform Mechogama that the refund request has been sent and receive no indication from him that he has even so much as looked at it.

Mechogama has been an unreliable and unprofessional artist at best, and outright attempting to con a client at worse. Reasonable attempts to rectify a situation and patience shown considering circumstance were disregarded and the attitude towards myself as a client and commissioner was dismissive. If you are expecting regular communique, timely updates, or for the original agreements of your commission terms to be met you should look elsewhere.