This article was originally published on www.newmodels.com -mykkal
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In the beginning it was all about money. Right out of the blue, people would get an email promising to make them rich. Various versions of the scam have existed since the 1920s, but they became ubiquitous once Internet email was so widely available. For an interesting history of these scams, see
www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/nigeria.asp
So what does that have to do with modeling? For the last couple of years, the scammers have branched out, targeting people based on known affiliations with the modeling world. Various versions have been sent to models, photographers, makeup artists and other professionals in the industry.
The latest versions promise work somewhere that the scammer isn’t, and the victim isn’t. At this writing, the claims seem to mostly involve alleged fashion shows or commercial modeling jobs in the UK or elsewhere in Europe. The scammer says they have found the victim on one of the Internet listing sites, and they would like to hire them for the upcoming show or event. Huge modeling fees are promised.
If they get a positive response, the scammer sets the hook. It could be based on the Nigerian scam: they say they will send a portion of the promised fees and expenses by certified check. The victim is then asked to deposit the check in his account, and use the money for various purposes (booking airline tickets to the event, for instance). But the amount sent is much larger than what is needed for the tickets, so the victim is asked to return some of the money to the sender.
When the scam works, the victim sends off a refund of the “excess” payment, only to find later that the “certified check” they got from the scammer was a forgery. When it bounces, the victim is out the “refund” he sent to the scammer.
Another version is simpler: they ask for lots of information about the victim, and then use identity theft to charge the victim’s accounts.
So how to avoid getting taken? You need to understand some painful facts:
- Major fashion and commercial clients don’t go cruising around the Internet looking for models. No matter how much you want to believe it, it’s not true. If someone says they found you that way and want to give you lots of money, it’s a scam.
- If you aren’t with a major agency, nobody is going to fly you thousands of miles and pay you thousands of dollars for a mainstream modeling job. Doesn’t happen. For the kinds of money they offer, there are plenty of agencies with qualified models, right near where the job is – or willing to send their models to where the job is. Clients with big bucks aren’t going to take a chance on an unknown when they can get the guarantees of working with an agency.
- Nobody will send you large amounts of money up front for a modeling job. If a miracle strikes and you do get hired for a job you have to fly to, they will make the reservations and buy tickets for you. Same for the hotel. They certainly aren’t going to send you the money and then cross their fingers and hope you show up.
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07-11-2007, 06:16 PM
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