Avoiding Scam's
By Samantha Tribble
Scams. They are everywhere! They are an especially large
part of the modeling world. Most new models will encounter at least a handful.
I know, starting out, I sure did. But, I quickly learned the signs of a con and
have become able to ward them off!
Several modeling sites, such as Model Mayhem (a site for
networking between models, photographers, editors, etc.), even has a pop-up
when searching for castings that tells you the basics to avoid scams:
Avoid Scams!
Don't get scammed. Here
are two rules that you should ALWAYS take into account:
1. If it
looks too good to be true, IT IS! Turn and walk away.
2. NEVER
give someone your social security number, a credit card number or any other
personal information unless you are absolutely sure of the situation. If
someone asks you to pay them for an opportunity where you will (seemingly)
eventually be paid back, it's a SCAM.
For your
entertainment, I will even provide a story of my own as to give an example of a
basic scam.
I was maybe two months
into my modeling career when I received a message via my Model Mayhem account
with a great offer that directed me to e-mail the company directly via my
personal e-mail. It was for a “commercial in my location”! How exciting, right?
Wrong. The email I received after contacting the company going by the name
Optimax asked for my information such as where I lived, my phone number, etc.
while including a quite extensive list of vague details. They gave me two
weekends in which to choose from to shoot. I started to notice that something
wasn’t right. Instead of confirming a date I sent them a list of questions in
which I received no response to. A few weeks later I received a check in the
mail for $2,950. This package came first-class, overnight, and with nothing but
the check from a Christian school in Georgia with an address on the envelope
from Oregon. I am a full-time student and had been informed that I had received
a new scholarship; so, I thought that this check was from one of my donors. Roughly
an hour after I received the check I received
an e-mail from Optimax instructing me to immediately cash the check,
withdraw $1,900, and wire it to the “designer”. The designer just happened to
be a 50 year-old construction worker in the mid-west. I called my attorney and
was instructed to cut contact with company. I told the company that their check
was fraudulent and to cease all contact with me. They have not and continue to
harass me.
Let this story be a
huge lesson and learn from it! Just as the Model Mayhem scam section says, “if
it sounds too good to be true, IT IS!”
This type of scam is
one of the many out there. There are even scams out there that are legitimate
businesses. For example, I recently encountered a modeling agency located in
New York whom of which not only charges anywhere between $1,500 and $2,500 for
a TEST SHOOT with no guarantee of signing you but they also charge their talent
$40 a month to stay on their agency website. This is NOT how agencies work!
Now, I’m not saying that you are expected to put nothing down, being a “talent”
and paying for your book or portfolio is an investment but by no means should
it cost you anywhere near what this agency is charging nor should you ever pay
a fee to stay on their website. A real agency’s/ company’s goal is not to make
money from you but to instead make money off of you by booking you with paying clients
in which they make a certain percentage off of what their talent makes; the
percentage is deemed by your state’s modeling/talent laws.
Another common scam
involves clothing companies that require the models and/or photographers to
purchase the clothing with no reimbursement after they have been photographed
in the clothing or have photographed a model in the clothing. The company then
uses the photos, a lot of the time without a release from the photographer.
They claim to be able to help you gain “national exposure” but in reality you
are only working for free. This is the company’s way of gaining free labor,
models, and, pictures. The owner is typically the only person who profits and
he typically only profits off of the models and photographers who purchase the
clothing. I have also encountered a company like this; thankfully I did not
shoot for them! The owner stated that for every person who puts your name in
the referral box when purchasing the clothing the model would receive 2% of the
profit off that order. Well, not only did the owner not follow through with
this he also was using his company to sexually exploit minors and prey on them.
This company is currently in a heaping mass of trouble.
These are all things
that everyone should avoid! Do your homework and research every company and
photographer before you work for them. Ask them for references and make sure
that their offer is legitimate. If you are under the age of 18, check you
state’s laws on modeling and make sure your parent signs a model release form.
Learn more about general scams at these great sites!
And for the minors and parents of minors check out:
-Samantha
Scams. They are everywhere! They are an especially large
part of the modeling world. Most new models will encounter at least a handful.
I know, starting out, I sure did. But, I quickly learned the signs of a con and
have become able to ward them off!
Several modeling sites, such as Model Mayhem (a site for
networking between models, photographers, editors, etc.), even has a pop-up
when searching for castings that tells you the basics to avoid scams:
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