“How do I know if its a scam?” Part 1 #ModelTipTuesday

Day 4 – Still kickin it on Alex Beadon’s Blog Challenge and today’s challenge is to answer a frequently asked question in a blog post. I think that this is something that I;ll add to my blog on a weekly basis. #ModelTipTuesday will be dedicated to your questions about modeling. If there are any questions you have, send them to me via any of my social media sites, or email me your questions. I will either respond to them directly or respond to you and post the question as a blog post for others to learn from. So, Here I go!

One of the constant questions that I get asked about is scams. This modeling business can be shaaaady baby! I like to think that most people are inherently good but the ones that aren’t make it hard to decipher the good ones from the bad. I know it makes it hard to know who to trust and who is really there for your best interest or theirs, but there are a few things that you have to look at in order to really understand if something is a scam or not.

Check this out

Signs this might be a scam (according to Alean):

1. If they contact you by email
   1. They are speaking in is broken English, or text message slang, or slang period
   2. The email address that they are emailing you from is non identifying (ex: 7394xytty@gmail.com) OR it doesn’t match the name of the person sending it (ex: Im Lisa Johnson but my email address is MartinElizabeth@gmail.com)
   3. They tell you they work with a well known brand or designer like, Ralph Lauren or Gucci (No high fashion brand is booking models sight unseen via the internet)
   4. They tell you that you have been selected to work for that big name client and want to pay you a large sum of money for your work but part of it will be paid upfront. (NO AGENCY WILL PAY YOU UPRONT AND ASK FOR THE MONEY BACK!)
   5. In order to you to be paid you have to provide them with a ton of personal information and your bank account information (ALL THAT INFO IS NOT NEEDED ESPECIALLY BANK ACCOUNT INFO)
   6. They leave no contact info (phone number, address, etc.) for you to contact them if you have any questions or want to look them up.

Take a look at this email that was sent to a model friend of mine.

 

Hello,

 Good afternoon to you over there and hope you are doing fine today?

thanks for your response, Presently the company (Ralph Lauren)

needs a model to advertise their new outfit and i am one of the

favored supervisor for the project coming up next month in your state.

Subsequently,The date is between 28th and 29th of June (NOTE THAT ON

YOUR CALENDAR) and the shoot location will be somewhere very close to

you and i will let you know it after details have been received…

 Beside how much is your charge for 4hrs in a day (WE PAY $250 TO

MODELS FOR PER HOUR SHOOT) and you are gonna do that for 2 days (Total

$2,000 for 8hours).

Transportation allowance will be included as we continue to work

together,you could be invited over to the company to sign a contract

with us if you pose pretty well. In order for this effect i would

implore you to provide me with your statistics (SIZE) as soon as

possible? so that what you need would be taken care of asap…

 You will first receive $300 to start with,which will be sent to you

immediately,this is for your transportation allowance only (NOTE: This

payment is for your transport ONLY and your full payment for the job

will be paid to you in cash immediately after the shoot in the

location).

 The photo shoots will be taken and sent to the company and it will be

display on our online web and magazine (worldwide).

 The company have personal photographers and makeup artist,so we have

made all necessary arrangement for your good looking on that day and

also our photographers are available to give you best directive. They

will be contacting you for proper

arrangement of time and location after payment has been made.

Bonus: The cloths you will be wearing for the shoot.

ESCORT:As matter of choice,you can bring along any one of your choice

to the shooting venue. All traveling Expenses, Food and

Accommodations/Hotel would be covered by my company. my company will

cover all the expenses on your escort.

EXPECTATIONS: You must have positive ID.

You must have a nice pedicure and manicure.

You must have nice smile and humble personality.

You must be willing to pose very well and good.

No hairy armpits.

 Reference and other forms/documented papers will be send to you via

courier service a week before the shoot.

 Guess the arrangement is understood? In order for payment to be made

to you on time,i would need you to provide me with the following

info…..

 

Name in full:

Residential address:

City:

State:

Zip-code:

Phone number(cell and home):

Age:

Charges $2,000(8 hours):YES/NO

Transport allowance $300:

OCCUPATION:

AGE:

ATTACH 2 RECENT PICTURES:

 

Measurements:

 

Best Regards,

Rick McNeil.

 

This kind of scam is a variation of the Nigerian Email scam. You know those emails that say they are a random Prince from some unheard of land and  they want you to claim your inheritance left by a distant relative, and they want to send you a check for the amount but you have to pay them money back once you cash the check… Yeah they took that to modeling. Check out this link that details more red flags you should be on the look out for if you happen to get a random email like this one – http://www.newmodels.com/Nigeria.html

 

Good luck out there in model land! and remember a Good Model is a Smart Model!

 

Be smart lovelies!

 

xoxo, Alean