London, England, August 2011 – In recent years there has been a phenomenal rise in the number of prospective models being scammed by sham agents or agencies and as a result the legitimate agencies are now issuing advisories.
An industry insider says, ‘As a result of the increasing number of scams being perpetrated by con-men the industry as a whole is publishing a series of online advisories which we hope will prevent these scams coming to fruition and ultimately put the fraudulent agencies out of business.’
London, England, August 2011 – In recent years there has been a phenomenal rise in the number of prospective models being scammed by sham agents or agencies and as a result the legitimate agencies are now issuing advisories.
An industry insider says, ‘As a result of the increasing number of scams being perpetrated by con-men the industry as a whole is publishing a series of online advisories which we hope will prevent these scams coming to fruition and ultimately put the fraudulent agencies out of business.’
The vast majority of the scams being highlighted by the legitimate industry usually involve would be models attending an audition or casting session and then subsequently being asked for a fee of some sort. Once the prospective models have paid their ‘fee’ they are told that the ‘agency’ will be in touch at a later date. Predictably once the money is handed over the ‘agency’ are never heard from or seen again.
Our industry insider goes onto say, ‘We would advise anyone who is approached by a modeling agency or indeed approaches a modeling agency, to check their credentials carefully beforehand. Reputable studios such as UK Models Purespace will have a permanent studio and a telephone number where you can call them. Agencies that arrange casting sessions at hotels and similar venues should be treated with caution or at least some common sense exercised’.
The main theme running through these advisories appears to be ‘look before you leap’. There is now a wealth of information available online which highlight the latest scams, where they are occurring and in some cases who is behind them.
Our Industry insider concludes by saying, ‘In contrast to the modeling scams of a few years ago the fraudsters are now utilising the internet instead of the traditional advertising in magazines and newspapers. The Social Networking sites provide the perfect platform for the scam artists so people should really check carefully who they invite as a friend to their network.’
Website: http://www.bview.co.uk/listing/2211459/Pure-Space-Studios-Ltd-in-W1W