Scams, Rip Offs and Bad Business

These days there seems to be a whole industry that has developed to take advantage of those who would like to become models. They are far removed from the world of actual professional modeling. This modeling scam and rip-off industry makes its money by alluding to or promising great careers in modeling, but first you have to pay them up front. Of course your modeling career never comes about and your money is long gone. These enterprises pray upon an individual's desire to be a star and their lack of knowledge of how the modeling industry really works. And this leach industry seems to be getting bigger everyday. I view these enterprises as falling into three categories: the scam, the rip-off, and just bad business. All cost a wannabe model and give little or nothing in return. The scam is a fraudulent and illegal activity. This type of enterprise has no intention of delivering on what it promises - and it usually makes big promises and guarantees. It normally asks for a substantial sum of money up front and vanishes in the night with it. A rip-off is not illegal. It tends to make vague promises or have one or two out of thousands that actual do get careers. It tends to work with anyone who has the money to pay up front no matter whether they have talent or not. Of course, it tellsl everyone they have some type of talent. This is a big category. It can include modeling agencies that charge up front for signing fees, photo shoots, or require you take their class before they will work with you. These can include some of the modeling conventions, searches, and competitions. There are lots of virtual modeling sites that are springing up all over the web. It seems there are new rip-off enterprises starting every day. In the case of bad businesses, these enterprises may be trying but they just don't know what they are doing. They are trying to be legitimate businesses but do not have the knowledge of the industry they need or they are located in the wrong place. This might be someone who sets up a modeling agency in a market that is too small to handle one, a photographer offering to shoot a professional modeling portfolio but does not have the skill level to carry it off, or a modeling school that should be called a finishing school (that offers classes in image enhancements or is using teaching materials that are 30 years old). I think these businesses mean well but still cost the model money for classes or photos that are useless. If your goal is to become a professional model, then all of the scams, rip-offs, and bad businesses that promise to take you to that goal, in fact, stand as barriers to it. Warning Signs Warning signs of a scam or a less then legitimate or poorly run modeling agency. 1) Newspaper classified ad or display ad looking for any kind of model or talent other than nude glamour modeling. Modeling agencies have plenty of wannabe's coming to them so they don't have to advertise for models. If they are short of talent they will send their scouts out to public places to look for potential talent. 2) Pictures of famous New York models on the walls or their comp cards on a wall rack. I don't think Cindy Crawford needs a modeling agency in small town USA. Get real people! 3) Any up front fees. This might be signing fees, new account fees, evaluation fees, etc. If an agency has to charge money at the front end it means that there is not enough money at the back end. This means the agency does not have enough modeling work for the agency to survive on commissions and not enough work for a model to survive. 4) "We are interested in you but you need to test shoot with our photographer and it's going to cost you". Legitimate agencies will provide you with a list of photographers that you may go to. Many will have a place by the front door for photographer's business cards that you can take on your way out. You should be free to go to any photographer you want to. If the agency tells you that you must use their photographer, watch out. 5) "We are interested in you but you need to go through our classes first and it is going to cost you". Again money at the front end = not enough modeling work at the back end. 6) "We guarantee you work". Modeling agencies are not employers. They represent you to try and get you work. Most of the time they don't know for sure what type of jobs will come in or what look may be needed, thus there is no way a legitimate agency can guarantee you work. The best they can do is give you an idea of their track record on placements. But, just like a warning with mutual funds, past performance is no guarantee of future perfomance. 7) "As it said in our newspaper ad we guarantee you work, just like the famous models on our walls, just as soon as you go through our modeling classes, shoot with our photographer, and pay our agency fees". RUN do not walk to the nearest exit.

A Modeling Scam This past week we had a newscast on a modeling scam. It was a Los Angeles operation that was targeting small towns in Oregon. They ran ads in the local newspaper saying they were looking for models for TV commercials. You were to send in some info on yourself and a couple of snap shots. After you sent in your info they would contact you and tell you that you had the look they needed. They then signed you up for a commercial paying the big bucks. They did need to do a test shoot before the actual commercial, but all of it was paid for except the makeup artist. They sent contracts, airline vouchers, and lots of official looking paper work. The catch was that the model had to pay for her own make-up artist and that they needed $500 up front. The small town wannabes, not knowing how the industry worked and having a contract in hand, sent in the $500. Of course once the check was cashed the scam artist vanished and the commercial, contracts, airline vouchers and the guarantees were all bogus. It is easy to con someone when they are not educated in an industry and, as the song says, "The lure of easy money has a very strong appeal."

Classic Rip-off The following was emailed to Modeling Advice. She agreed to let me share this with others. This is not uncommon and shows what can happen if one gets caught up in one's hope for a career and is not ready for shysters that are out there. This young lady ran into one of the classic rip-off agencies. It began with a newspaper ad, and then having to pay for photos. They promised immediate work without even photo testing or much of an interview. This is not an illegal operation, just a rip-off. She writes: Hello. I read your section on modeling scams. I know this e-mail may be long, but please hear me out. I really need your advice on this one. I feel really stupid now. I went to a modeling/talent agency so that I could get my singing career started. I found this agency in the newspaper (one thing you wrote about). I didn't even go there for modeling I went there for the agent to listen to a demo tape I had done. He told me he could not do much for me in that field, but asked if I would consider modeling or doing commercials, etc. He told me I would have to take pictures and gave me a chart to look at. Three pictures cost $475.00. I had taken a friend with me who advised me to do it, because through this I could always meet people and start my singing career. There were many other people in the office - for example, teenagers and babies. He asked me how I would feel about doing a fashion show this weekend and also said he got called for a video. Now, anyone who has met me knows that I am a bit shy and have low self-esteem, so why would you want me for this job? He even told my friend that I had to break out of that and be more aggressive. Of course it was after I paid him that these questions ran through my head. I had never done anything so stupid and rash in my whole life. I think it was the rush of thinking I might finally go out there and sing. He didn't tell me that I needed to change anything about myself, which I personally thought was odd. He had the secretary come in and take one of the photos I brought in to FedEx it to the people making the video. Personally I think it was all a big act. He also said it was good that I lived in a particular area. He took pictures of me(I don't even know if there was film in the camera)and said I could come back in another day to take the other pictures. I was going back today, but got stuck on the highway and did not make it on time. I called and said I would be there in 10 minutes and the secretary told me that I would have to reschedule because the agent was going to a meeting, so I rescheduled for Thursday. When I had called to cancel the initial appointment she jumped down my throat saying that they are a professional agency and that she didn't think I was serious about this. But this time she most easily rescheduled, after they got my money. The contract he gave me said that they would get 10% of what I make. I paid with a credit card and called the company and froze my account, but it will probably go through anyway. I'm not sure if they are for real or not, because I just did this on Saturday, 4/1/00. I probably won't be able to do anything about it now, but I still want people to know about this and to be more aware. What can I do as far as that goes? Maybe you can let the people know since you have a web site. What can I do to protect myself as far as this matter goes? I was also thinking about the fact that if he is not legitimate and he does have pictures of me would he use them for other purposes? I also called the Better Business Bureau and they said that this company has been around since 1993 and they have had 14 complaints in the last 36 months and they had responded to all of these complaints. Please e-mail me and let me know how much of a scam this sounds like if it is. I appreciate your time. Thank you.