Types of scams
There are several well known types of scams to models, those are the ones we detect the most.
The self-pronounced nude artist He's not a photographer, but he tries hard to look like one. His interest is not on the photos, but on meeting you and seeing you naked.
The business man Often pretends to be a scouter, to have an agency, a magazine, a production company or similar, but they don't. Pornography and prostitution is often covered this way.
You must pay in advance Some so-called agencies ask you to pay in advance. Agencies are supposed to earn money by getting you to work, not by getting you to pay.
The nude casting A well paid job for a great campaign, but you're an amateur model and don't really know nothing about that guy. Easy way to see you naked.
How scammers work?
They work in different ways, and they reinvent themselves from time to time, but here are some of the typical behaviors you could expect from a model scammer.
They pretend to be a photographer, a model agency representative, a casting director, a scouter, a personal trainer ...
They signup at modeling sites, web communities and forums with fake names and bad or stolen photos, they look like the real deal.
They contact you about some great modelling job or casting, sometimes they offer you some juicy contract, money, or the promise of being published in some well-known magazine.
They talk like a real photographer or a model agency representative. Sometimes they even have websites that look real.
How to be sure when in doubt?
Not everyone is a scammer, but how to be sure? Here you have some ideas.
Ask for detailed information: Brand names, agency names, land-line phone numbers, anything you can check afterwards by yourself ... If he avoids giving you this information, that's a scammer.
Google the agency or the photographer and find their real phone numbers. Call them and check with them the info you've got.
Always come with a friend to a first casting or shooting. If he doesn't agrees with that, you've clearly found a scammer.
Trudi Tapscott on modeling scamsIf you're still in doubt, reject the job. Any real professional will be happy to give you real, verifiable information
About
Stop model scams is a campaign initiated by Litmind to raise awareness about the problem on model scammers, fraudsters and impersonators in internet web sites for models.
For site owners
We've prepared some recommendations for site owners to prevent modeling scams on their networks:
Recommendations for site owners