A serious scam making its rounds through model sites. It is trapping many girls who seek to be a model.
The scheme: Someone wants to hire you but does not have a way to pay the photographer so they ask if you would accept a check and then forward the payment to the photographer who will not book your shoot until he is paid. Included in this check is your payment, normally 2 to 3 times the going rate, $xxx for travel and the money for the photographer.
Once you receive the check, you find it is $500 to $2000 (or euro) more than they mentioned it would be. You contact them and they tell you to keep your portion and send the rest to the photographer. Again it is mentioned it needs to happen fast for the photographer will not book the shooting until he has the money.
THIS SHOULD BE A FLAG!
Once you cash the check, it bounces. Keep in mind, the check looks real, many banks cannot even tell. These bogus checks are often drawn on an African bank which does not exist.
Then if you write the agent, his email is no longer good. What does this mean to you? You’re responsible for paying the bank back plus the fees for the bounced check.
Rule number one: If it sounds too good to be true, then it is.Here are some rules to keep in mind:
1. Know you rate. You know what your modeling is worth, if they offer you 10x the normal amount, something is wrong. Photographers pay competitive rates. Find out what those are.
2. No true photographer or agent will have you cash a check for them. This is not professional no matter the sob story they provide.
3. Get references. Look at their webpage. If the webpage is “under construction”, run.
4. Those hiring you will book transportation for you, having a ticket at the airport or Tran station under your name.
5. They will send you a contract with contact information in advance, upon request. If the offer seems strange, request a contract.
6;
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES do you give them your passport for them to get a visa for you. Keep your eyes on it at all times. If they have it, it will prevent you from fleeing the country should you need to and this is a method used to get women into the sex trade or abducted as a sex slave.
I am concerned about the increase in these methods of hiring and payment scams. I would not blog it if it has become a serious issue.
If this has happened to you, post your comment here, and help me spread the word to models.
