Fakes & Forgeries: Discover How an Art Detective Unravels the Truth

Explore how some of the most successful forgers fooled the expert community, and how to detect fakes and forgeries when examining artworks. Doug Bort, Founder, Managing Partner, and Lead Investigator of Odyssey Global Consulting, LLC, will discuss art and cultural property crimes, including international investigations and undercover operations during a 21-year career as a special agent with the U.S. Customs Service and Homeland Security. He will also discuss the exploitation of a famous indigenous artist and how thousands of fakes were created in his style. Knowledge gained from experts with decades of experience in the field to determine whether an object’s authenticity may be suspect will be discussed, as well as when provenance information may raise further suspicions.

About the Speaker

Doug Bort is the Founder, and Lead Investigator of Odyssey Global Consulting, LLC. Prior to that, he spent twenty-one years as a Special Agent with the United States Customs Service and Homeland Security Investigations. He is a Subject Matter Expert in the investigation of art and cultural property crimes. He conducted many complex international investigations, and undercover operations; and trained many other law enforcement personnel on how to investigate art and cultural property crimes.

During his tenure with Homeland Security Investigations, Doug represented the United States in international investigations around the world and was heavily involved in United States national policy decisions and international diplomacy. With a proven record of successfully leading complex international investigations, his work has resulted in the recovery and return of over $3 million worth of cultural property to its rightful owners.

Notably, Doug developed and operated an extremely effective undercover platform that targeted the illegal sales of cultural property, art, and antiquities, including sales that funded international terrorist organizations. He was also instrumental in cultivating, developing, and conducting training for other Special Agents and law enforcement agencies, both in the United States and abroad, pertaining to the investigation of art and cultural property crimes.

Now in the private sector, Doug uses his vast knowledge and extensive experience to provide expert services to museums, private collectors, insurance companies, and other individual clients.