Dozens of art collectors around the country have been conned into buying fake replicas of paintings by Belfast artist Markey Robinson. Over 50 people have been swindled in the last number of weeks, according to Mark Nulty, director and owner of the Oriel Gallery in Dublin. There is still at least one buyer a week being caught out by the counterfeit paintings, he said.

Art investors are now forking out up to €30,000 for the much sought-after paintings only to be informed they are fake copies. The paintings are famed for their simple style and are easily imitable.

Nulty believes that the current recession has led to a sharp increase in those who "are chancing their arm to make a couple of grand through an easy scam in the art industry".

"There has been a sharp rise in those coming into the gallery who are looking to have the painting that they just bought valued.

"However, we recognise the fakes and we then have to inform the buyer of the situation. We have had people coming into us who have just forked out thousands of euro on what they believed was an original."

Paintings by Robinson, who died in 1999, have become popular Irish art investments despite initial misgivings from the artist's critics.

He has been the subject of major academic surveys and his work also featured in American dramas such as Lipstick Jungle, based on the bestseller by Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell.

Nulty says he finds it very easy to spot the fakes, and can determine their authenticity within seconds. "We know the real ones by the certain paints he used, and his brush strokes. This is something scammers cannot replicate and I would urge art investors to watch out for this.

"I must react in a very diplomatic way when I am approached by customers who find themselves in this situation.

"This is a growing problem now and our policy is that when we are once again presented with this issue we give the customer a letter from the gallery with details and a statement from ourselves.

"This way, customers can take this to their local gardaí or try bringing it up with those they bought it from."

Other scams to watch out for, according to Nulty, is the 'touching-up' of unfinished pictures and the placing of fake gallery business cards in the back of the paintings to try and convince the customer of their legitimacy.