PhotoShoot in TX SCAM - MyModelTalk Free Casting Calls for Models and Actors!

PhotoShoot in TX SCAM · 05-02-2009, 12:50 AM

I have a question for you. Someone sent me this message -

Hello, Am John James, i have a modeling paid job for you, if you are interesting get back to me for more detail at (modeljobs11@yahoo.co.uk) I will be waiting for your quick response.

I then responded and he sent me this email -

Hello,
Thanks for your response. Am a model agency in United Kingdom, our company is ready to sponsor the BEAUTIFUL LADIES AND GENTLEMEN (BLG) that are coming for the shooting. The shooting will hold at a rented photographer studio in Houston (TEXAS), you don't have to bother about the traveling cost and accommodations, all this are provided for you in a five star hotel. As soon as you are set your ticket will be send to you and you will be picked up immediately at the airport as soon as you arrived. The name and address of the studio will be forward to you before the shooting. To let you know, The Company is leasing out the sum of $1,780 for your payment before your arrival to the Texas. The Company is leasing out this amount to all the models that may have interest in this offer. All the materials to be use will be provided by the Company. But before the Shooting the Company will be giving out part of your payment which is $400 through Check to be rest assured.The shooting is photo shoot and the total paid for the shooting is $1,780. But we are gonna give you part of your payment which is $400 before the shooting to be assure that the shooting is gonna be hold, and the trip is gonna be 2 days. The shooting date is on 16th and 17th of May 2009 but the check will be including the studio rented fee which you will send to the studio through western union after you have cashed the check. The payment will be mailed directly to you, and immediately you have it i will instruct you and give you the studio agents name you will send the studio rented fee to. Then you will be paid the balance immediately after the shooting. Hope this is quite clear. Please I'd like you to check your email on a regular basis, i might have updates you. If you have go through all these and understand this very well, you can reply back to me as soon as possible with the details required below. You can call me to this number +447031929807 for any question regarding the shooting.

NAME THAT WILL BE ON CHECK................

ADDRESS (NO PO BOX)................

COUNTRY....................

CITY...............

STATE..............

ZIP CODE..........

PHONE NO.................

SEX..............

AGE.....

WAIST.......

YOUR EXPERIENCE.......

ATTACH PASSPORT...

Regards.

Does this look like a legit model job to you? What do you think about this? Please let me know, b/c I recieved info about this job through mymodeltalk.com... I just want to make sure that this is not a scam.. and that nothing bad will happen. Thank you sincerely for your time.

Nicolina Converso

austinmodelsandtalent · 05-04-2009, 08:07 PM

These should not really even require posting. It is the classic Nigerian check scheme.

GIRLS: NOBODY HIRES YOU OUT OF THE BLUE AND PAYS YOU LIKE THIS.

Log off, start sending in submissions to licensed agents.

05-04-2009, 11:12 PM

...thanks for your response.. however, This does in fact need to be posted because it is apparent that some girls aren't aware of certain types of scams.

If you are not exposed to it, you will never know.

Thank you sincerely for your time..

Bella

austinmodelsandtalent · 05-05-2009, 12:16 PM

Okay, so out of the blue you receive an email from a company that "saw you on a website forum" and they want to hire you to work for them. They decided that unlike the real industry, they'd forget about contacting licensed agents and instead would troll the internet looking for girls. Then, they will send you a check... but wait, it is for more than the amount you are getting paid... but it's okay, just cash it and then write them another check, or perhaps wire them $$$ via Western Union, and for the balance to be returned or paid to someone else in the scheme.

It's pretty plain as day. Understanding first how the industry works is the first step in becoming a model or an actor/actress. You would not walk into an operating room at a hospital and make in incision into somebody to operate without having some previous knowledge and experience, right? The same is true for anything someone does in life. Talent should first learn how the business works (which usually means forgetting most of what you read on the Internet) and then they can sit back and let their agents screen, book, and invoice.

20/20 did a segment with Chris Hansen on these scams before and it was amazing how many people were out there being milked of their money.

I blame the public school system.

mykkal · 05-06-2009, 02:56 AM

A lot of it is common sense I think. There is a process with everything. Why would a company which hasn't done a "Go-See" (interview) want to put a lot of money behind models with little or no experince?

That make no finnacial or buisiness sense (common sense either)... But she's right Jeff, a lot of people fall victim to these scams because they are ignorant to the way the industry should work.

Unfortunately the US government isn't interested in stopping these crimes. I talked with a FBI agent that was very honest with me. The crimes just don't rate the amount of money that would be spent in resources (investigating).

These guys might be giving away a few thousand at a time. But they have thousands of victims. I believe many millions has been stolen but the government doesn't have the will to go after these guys.

Again, We've blocked the entire country of Nigeria. That may help some.