SCAMS

Scammers want your money and they want it now.

Let me repeat that. Scammers want your money and they want it now.

Your money is their primary concern. Scammers can be very persuasive because they prey on your dreams of success! They will do and say whatever they can to get you to pay them money - right away.

They will lie. They will lie. They will lie. They will tell you everything you want to hear. But it will all be lies. What they want is your money. They do not care about you. They want your money.

There are a lot of scams and scammers out there. If something doesn't seem right - it's probably not. If things seem too good to be true - they're probably not true.

You have lost nothing by walking away from a questionable situation. You have gained nothing by being represented by an incompetent, lazy, unqualified agent. You will lose a lot by being represented by an incompetent, lazy, unqualified agent.

Take your time finding an agent. It is not a desperate act by a desperate actor. It is a business decision and a life decision. It is your future career and earnings. It is your time and energy. These things are valuable. Too valuable to waste on someone trying to pressure you into a bad deal. Too valuable to waste on careless judgement. Take time to think about an offer. Don't be pressured to sign anything until you have walked away for a while and thought about it.

• Model searches that require registration fees are scams.
• Talent searches that require registration fees are scams.
• Many, but not all, model and talent conventions are scams.
• Anyone who wants you to pay them money before you do any modeling or acting work is a scammer.
• Anyone who promises you acting or modeling work on condition that you pay them money in advance is a scammer.
• If it seems like a lot of money to pay, it is and you should not pay it. It is a scam.
• Agents and managers get paid by collecting commissions from your pay AFTER you have completed a job. If they ask you for cash they are scammers.
• Agents or managers who charge fees for any kind of services (photos, résumés, on-line listings, agency listings, hair or make-up stylists, classes, photocopies, monthly fees, etc) are scammers.
• If an agent or manager asks YOU to pay their commission in advance or out of your own pocket, it is a scam.
• If they send YOU a check for work they claim they booked for you - then want you to send THEM a check for their commission, they are scammers.
• If they ask you for a background check they are scammers.
• Agents or managers who require you to use their photographer or take their classes are scammers.
• Photo sessions should not cost more than a few hundred dollars. Anyone charging more than that is a scammer.
• If you hear or read something like this phrase, “Our talent scout is in your area!” it is a scam.
• Vague casting calls that do not provide much detail are scams.
• If you are asked to wear lingerie, do any nudity, or perform sexual acts in an audition (even an on-line audition), they are scammers.
• Casting directors and agents don’t go to malls looking for new talent. If you are approached at a mall or on the street, it is a scam.
• If a child is asked to do an on-line audition, parents should always be off to the side, out of view, monitoring for any predatory or questionable interactions.

What should you do if you are confronted by one of the above situations? Stop dealing with that person and company. IMMEDIATELY!!! Leave. Grab your checkbook, credit card, wallet or purse and get out!!!

BEWARE! Scam artists and dangerous people place fake ads for models and actors on-line and in local media. Such nasty people are seeking naive, unsuspecting victims to take money from, sexually molest or even do bodily harm to. (YES THIS HAPPENS!!! BELIEVE IT!)

• If the person you are to meet wants to meet you in a motel room or hotel room, (no matter how nice the hotel or motel) especially at night - DON'T GO!
• If the person asks you intimate, embarassing, or inappropriate questions - GET OUT!
• If the person asks you to remove any clothing - GET OUT!
• If the person says nudity is required and this was not listed in the ad - GET OUT!
• If the person is unkempt, smelly or acts strange - GET OUT!
• If you go to an office and you don't see any office people or the office people don't look busy, the phones are not ringing or you don't see other indications that this is a busy agency - this might not be the agent for you.
• If the person starts asking you for money up front or starts pressuring you to pay for classes or photo packages - LEAVE. Agents get paid by commissions on work you perform (10%-20%). In some states, it is illegal for agents to offer other services for fees.
• If the person gushes about how georgeous you are, or that you have the perfect look, or that you are unquestionably star material, or other such extreme flattery - and then asks you to pay for their classes, photo services, etc. - LEAVE!
• If the person takes the opposite approach, telling you that you don't have what it takes, or almost have what it takes, but they can help you to succeed and then asks you to pay for their classes, photo services, etc. - LEAVE!

Model/Talent Search Scams

Model/talent searches are a terrible way to try to get into the modeling or acting business. They are expensive and yield little of value. They are scams. They are scams because MOST (almost all) of the people who attend such events receive little of any real value for their money. A few workshops, a quick walk on a runway and a "chance" to be seen by "agents" is hardly worth the many hundreds or thousands of dollars these ridiculous model/talent searches charge.

All legitimate model agencies hold open calls at their offices. Legitimate agents DO NOT CHARGE A FEE for this!!! Just call the agencies and ask about their procedures.

All legitimate talent agencies will look at the photos, résumés and videos actors send to the agency office. Legitimate agents DO NOT CHARGE A FEE for this!!!

The people who organize model/talent searches are fully aware that over 95% of those who attend will not be "chosen". They are fully aware that of those who are "chosen", only a few, if any, will actually gain any significant work on any regular basis.

The people who organize these searches take in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees. Almost all the people who attend receive little of any value toward a professional modeling or acting career. That is the scam.

You should NEVER arrange to meet alone with someone who you do not know. A legitimate industry professional will not mind if you bring a parent, guardian, or trusted friend with you; especially upon any first meeting; regardless of your age.

The information you provide to the "professional scout" (usually someone who knows little if anything about the modeling business) at the model/talent search "open call" was likely sold to modeling schools, photographers or anyone else interested in selling services. The "scouts" are trained to get as many people to pay to attend the search as possible - whether the attendees shows any merit or not. The scouts use a lot of flattery and misleading statements to accomplish this goal.

The agents who are at the search are paid a sizable fee to attend. Many of the "agents" are not really agents. They are agent assistants or other people who have no decision making authority to actually sign an attendee. Often times, the staff of these searches and even the "agents" use the open calls and the search convention to find cute women and men to "date" (have sex with). This will not advance anyone's chances of launching a modeling career. It just makes fools out of the attendees.

The organizers usually require agents to "callback" a certain number of candidates, whether they are interested in all the candidates or not. A callback does not mean you have been "choosen" or are on your way to a career. It simply means that the "agent" wants to talk to you again. Most attendees who are called back do not ultimately receive any representation.

There are far-far better, less costly and more productive ways to get into the modeling and acting business. I suggest you head to the library or spend $20 or $30 at your local bookstore and get a book or two about the modeling and acting business so you can learn something about how things really work. It is far, far cheaper than wasting money on silly model/talent searches.

Never, never pay money upfront for anything!

Sounds simple, doesn't it. If people actually followed this simple guideline, they would save themselves thousands of dollars and put acting and modeling scammers out of business. However, it seems the allure of earning "big money" as an actor or model fogs many peoples' brains and impairs their otherwise good judgement. So I will clarify the above basic rule with some specific things to NEVER DO...

• Never, never pay an agent or manager any upfront money!
• If an agent or manager asks you to pay them money for "expenses" or "headshot and résumé reproductions" or "mailing expenses" or anything else, it is time to turn around, leave the office and don't go back. Agents earn their income from commissions on the income you earn when you perform acting work. The specifics of what kind of work and what earnings are commissionable should be detailed in a contractual agreement between you and the agent. The agent's office and other expenses come out of the commissions they earn - not from upfront fees they might try to collect from naive, ignorant actors.

Stolen pay. Sexual harassment. Months without a paycheck. Outrageous fees and expenses that eat away at earnings. And no one to turn to for help.
CLICK TO READ THE STORY.

• The only exception to the never pay upfront fees rule are "registration" fees charged to applicants by agencies that handle primarily background (extra) work. This fee should be small, no more than $20-$30. Anything more than that approaches the scammy side and those agencies should be avoided. Agents who handle background actors are paid by the producers of a show for extras provided. Commissions are not paid by actors to agents for extra work.
• If you respond to an "audition" notice and find the "audition" is attended be several hundred people, and you are asked to pay a "fee" to register to be an extra in case you do not get a bigger part - or for future productions - save your money and get outta there. It's a scam. There are no other exceptions to the never, never pay an agent or manager any upfront money rule.

Modeling is a time-consuming, demanding and cutthroat profession. But most of all, it can be prohibitively expensive. Unlike most U.S. workers, models regularly see huge chunks of their earnings -- whether it's a third, more than half, or even entire paychecks -- disappear right before their eyes.
CLICK TO READ THE STORY.

• Never, never pay anyone for SAG vouchers!
• One way to qualify to join SAG (Screen Actors' Guild) is to perfom as an extra (AKA, background actor) on union productions. There are specific union rules that must be followed. There are unscrupulous people who might try to sell you "vouchers" they claim will go toward union membership. That is bogus! Do not buy SAG vouchers from anyone!!! If you do not follow the SAG's membership rules, your membership will be delayed or even possibly denied.
• Never, never pay to audition!
• Anyone who attempts to charge any kind of fee to actors who hope to audition for an agent, manager, casting director or production, are scammers and you should leave immediately. The only exception are the fees charged by various regional theatre auditions.
• Never, ever give out your social security number, bank account number, checking account number or credit card number at an audition.
• If anyone asks you for any of these numbers at an audition, leave immediately. They are scammers.

While modeling agencies often front the cost of housing initially, the high rent payments ultimately come out of any earnings a model makes -- leaving many trapped in a vicious cycle of debt.

"The models apartments were one of the biggest suckers," said former model Lisa Yanowitz (formerly Davies), who remembered staying in an agency apartment that fit up to 12 models at a time.
CLICK TO READ THE STORY.

• Never, never pay union dues to anyone except the union!
• If anyone who claims to be casting for a project asks you to pay any money for "union dues", leave immediately. They are scammers.
• Never, never pay any money to anyone who claims they will charge no fees!
• Anyone who advertises that no fees will be charged is immediately suspect and should be dismissed out-of-hand as operating unethically? Why? Because it is a given that no fees will ever be charged. Anyone who advertises "NO FEES" is using it as a come-on to sucker naive, desperate, new-comers into responding to their spurious advertisement. Stay away from these people. What they really intend is to sell you photo services, classes, convention registration or any number of other expensive products or services. Leave immediately! Do not listen to their sales pitch - no matter what they say. LEAVE!!!
• Never, never pay any money to anyone to "evaluate your potential!" Anyone who takes money to "evaluate your potential" is scamming you. They are taking advantage of naive, desperate acting and modeling wannabees. Potential? Potential for what? For becoming a star? No one can confidently assess such a thing. It is foolish to give any credence to anyone who claims they can evaluate your "potential." It is possible for someone to evaluate your current level of acting skills and mastery of the fundamentals - but you don't have to pay anyone to do such an evaluation for you. A much truer and far more accurate gauge of your "potential" is a live audience. Find an audition - Go to it - Get parts and Perform in front of live audiences.

These schemes usually follow a similar pattern. Claiming to be modeling agencies, unscrupulous companies tell young people and often their parents that they are destined for a successful modeling career -- all they have to do is pay upfront for photos, training and other fees. But the jobs never materialize, leaving them out of thousands of dollars.
CLICK TO READ THE STORY.

• Never, never pay any money to anyone to get you "industry ready!"
• "Industry Ready" is one of those silly terms scammers invent to intimidate naive, desperate, wannabees. Their intent is to make you feel you are somehow inadequate and that they can give you what you need to make the grade - if you pay them their ridiculous fee. When you hear someone using phrases like "industry ready" that are then attached to the payment of a fee, leave immediately!
• Never, never pay any money to an agent or agency that requires you to take their classes before they will represent you! This is a scam. They are much, much more interested in taking your class fees than in representing you. These agencies - if they actually turn out to really be agencies - are the bottom-feeders of the industry. Stay away from them - and don't take their over-priced classes.
• Never, never pay any money to an agent or agency who requires you have expensive photos taken by specific photograpghers as a condition to be represented. This is a scam. They are much, much more interested in collecting their photo fees or photographer kick-backs than in representing you. These agencies - if they actually turn out to really be agencies - are the bottom-feeders of the industry. Stay away from them.