How to Spot a Modeling / Acting Scam

Are you worried that an acting audition or modeling job you are interested in or that was offered may not be real?

If so, read on to find out what the red flags are.

There are too many marketing companies that prey on a persons quest for fame. These companies and their affiliates post casting notices, auditions and ads on Craigslist, and other free classified sites that refer to fake auditions and non existent castings for jobs that sound real. Some also use ads on the radio and newspapers to entice people.

 

Here is why they do this. Money!
There are many different scams preying on people trying to break into the industry. Here are just a few.

There are many companies claiming to be agencies that will claim to find you work… if you pay them. They don’t just come out and ask for money, they first get your confidence and reel you in slowly. Often times they schedule a “fake” audition (they don’t ask for money here to put you at ease), then they call and tell you ‘you are great’ come in for a 2nd audition and sometimes a 3rd. Once there, they tell you “you are perfect… but…”. This is where the salesperson kicks in and tries to sell you on photos, portfolios, online portfolios, classes, conventions and anything else they can push on you. The audition was not actually for a real part in any production, it was to evaluate how much you will spend and how much they can sucker you out of.

Then there are companies that don’t sell any services themselves, they get paid to sell your information to companies that have telemarketers and salespeople.

The companies / individuals involved are paid to get “leads”. Leads are people of a certain demographic such as child, teen, man, etc. that have a interest, such as acting or modeling, that they can later exploit by way of email spam, telemarketing, etc. After you answer a “fake” casting (much of craigslist was fake when I tested it), you will begin getting offers through email and sales pitches from telemarketers, all aimed at getting you to sign up for some service.

Many times they call you and say they have an audition for you. They pose as casting directors, agents, etc. They try to get you excited and pump up your ego with flattery. Real agents and casting directors do not just pick a name ‘out of a hat’ and offer a high paying acting job to someone they never met or seen perform.

When the telemarketers are done with you, your info gets sold to the next company and the routine starts again. Some internet marketers go as far as responding to your inquiry with a message that “you are perfect” or “will send the audition details”, but first… please go here and do this.

This is a different type of scam and not that obvious to most.
Those affiliates get paid to funnel people to other sites, usually sites that deal with background checks or security of some kind. Age and citizenship verification are a common ploy. I answered one Extra casting (sounded very real) that sent me to a site that does ssl certificates. Most people would not even understand that ssl certification is for online shopping carts and has zero to to do acting or auditions. The marketer just used that because it went along the lines of “verify your identity” for the fake casting call and he gets paid 30 bucks for every FREE lead he sends to the company. He is scamming them too! I was looking for an audition, NOT a shopping cart! I am useless as a lead to them, but he still gets paid ’till caught. Then he moves on to the next company looking for leads.

 

Here’s how to spot the real castings from the fakes.

Remember, real casting directors will always want a headshot, resume, acting reel, and for modeling things such as height, weight, size, etc. If all they ask for is an optional photo and contact info than beware. The scammers need the photo because the sales pitch involves a lot of flattery. The sales pitch is honed to make you feel special and chosen.

  • Beware of anyone looking for “new faces”. Everyone has a new face! You can walk out your door and find dozens in a minute! The word “new faces” is a red flag.
  • Beware of general needs such as “any ethnicity, ages 5 to 75” that’s almost EVERYONE! Real castings have specific needs (with the exception of extras / background).
  • Beware of “no experience necessary.” While some casting calls for kids and background actors do not require experience, most principal roles require both.
  • Beware of ads with large pay. Ads that read like “models and actors needed for ‘put in any large brand here’ pay is $1800 daily and job is 4 to 5 days….”
  • Beware of ads that quote union rates such as $752 a day without mention of union. They are just pulling union jobs knowing you have ZERO way of getting the gig or worse, making them up and quoting union rates.
  • Beware of anything that asks for lingerie, topless, etc. and request pics from you to be considered. Use your imagination on what someone will do with those. Real casting directors will want head shots, full body shot(clothed) and measurements.
  • Beware of webcam auditions, Skype auditions and the like from people you do not know. There are legit ones done that way with experienced actors and scammers are playing on that. There have been many scams where ladies did those and were talked out of their clothing by people saying “I need to see what you really look like” and other lines. Those videos then get sold in other countries and end up all over the internet for others enjoyment.
  • Beware of Extras casting calls that are nationwide. Generally, large productions go through a casting company. Anyone posting things like “Extras needed to make scene look ‘real’,  ‘Insert big movie name here’ pays $300 daily” is a scam. Non-Union extras earn about minimum wage and are ALWAYS cast locally.
  • Beware of anyone asking you to follow a link to do a background check. Do not sign up for any background or age verification site. Those are 100% scam, even though it seems free for you to do it, the scammer is selling your info to an unsuspecting company and you will never hear back about the audition.
  • Beware of anything that says call some number, casting agents are waiting. Casting directors look at headshots and resumes than call back who they like. They do not sit by a phone waiting for everyone and their mom to call without even knowing if they fit. Basically, they call you if they like you.
  • Beware of ANYONE that approaches you at a shopping mall to sign you up to audition for Disney Channel or whatever. Those are 100% fake. Disney does not work that way nor does any casting director. Those are sales people who are trying to get you in the door so they can then sell you stuff. There is no audition!!!!! You will be wasting your time going and many meetings later they will ask for payment for some inferior service. It takes many meeting because they attempt to gain your trust and have you invest your time. They try to make it look like they are doing auditions, then callbacks, etc. Not for a real role. It is for the opportunity to work with them and they make people feel special for being selected to come back so much. Fact is, they do that with everyone and the only thing they are evaluating is your ability to pay up.

And lastly, beware of anyone selling anything. Remember, you applied for a JOB! Means, they pay YOU!

 

How to protect yourself:

Get an email, an anonymous one for casting calls that you respond to. That way if it gets spammed, you can change it easily.

NEVER, follow a link to another site asking you to enter private information that has zero to do with what you are applying for.

Do your homework – Google company names. If you want to see any bad press you can Google ‘company name scam’ or things along that line. Check consumer report sites. Many try to hide the bad press and small operations change names often. If you can’t find anything about them, that’s a red flag.

You can check how long their website has been around by doing a ‘who is’ search. I just ran into a agency that looked fishy the other day. They claimed tons of credits and offered promises of fame. I checked them out. Their company website was created a few days back, hosted in the Ukraine and registered anonymously. Unless the Ukraine is the new Hollywood, I’m thinking, this may be a scam.

Remember, if it sounds like a dream, it most likely is just some low life trying to pay his bills off yours. Real jobs take commitment, training and diligence. You begin at the bottom with low paying jobs and castings in small productions, then work your way up as it is in any industry. Once you get some training, a resume and experience, then you get an agent to go after the larger jobs.

With all the above said, there are great opportunities available. You just need to learn how to stay away from the scammers. With practice, you will learn to spot the real from the fake. Even I still get fooled by some. Luckily, the readers normally catch those and leave me a comment to remove the spam.

Also, comments are taken and will be posted on this page. Add your own tips to avoid modeling and acting scams. I will moderate and post.

You can also read child acting scams for more info.

468 thoughts on “How to Spot a Modeling / Acting Scam”

  1. Momma of two

    I am completely confused even after reading all of this. I took my 5 year old son to a Casting Hub audition this morning and a waiting to hear if he gets a call back. I am concerned by the comments above but at the same time I do not feel like they misrepresented who they were either. They never said they were an agency, rather a “middle man” that agents then get talent from. The crew of judges seemed legit and the logic explained in the session made sense.

    I feel naive that I still am hopeful we get a callback but I know I will still have tons of questions…. Help!

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  3. Fatima

    What do you know about Hollywoodacademy.com

    Please write back asap! Thank you!

    Reply ↓
  4. Debbie M

    This is very informative. My daughter got a call back from an
    audition with Casting Hub. I don’t want to pay for POTENTIAL booking
    so confused!!! However, I agree I should not have to pay
    if a company is interested in my kid. So bizarre.

    Reply ↓
    1. casting

      Extras are never “new Faces”. Extras are NOT actors, they are people to fill in the background. Most extras open calls are cattle calls that do not require appointments or auditions.

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  6. Jocelyn

    Y’all have NO idea how many times I’ve ben scammed. Acting and modeling is my passion and I’ve been trying to break into either one for the longest. I happen to live in a small city with not enough opportunities like that & I thought that all I could rely on was the Internet. Now I’ve learned that I would most likely have to travel to bigger cities in order to make things happen. Its a struggle. It seriously makes me angry that people are actually out here doing this to aspiring models/actors like me. I’ve gone thru a lot in my life & these are my dreams, so to me this is an insult. All of the websites are scams. Everybody try to sound so serious by saying things like “Craigslist” & ExploreTalent & such & such websites are scams”.I don’t care how serious they try & sound. They fool people in that way. ALL of them are scams so please beware of all websites & don’t give your money away.

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  7. Widower

    Yes Casting Hub is a scam! I went to the Westin DFW int’l Hotel in Dallas. Took my 2 kids and got the packet wanting you to pay a minimum of $2000 for 3mos of local only advertising BS and up to $8000 for everywhere for 6mos! Both were chosen even though my youngest froze on the first line, Wow huh? I am not going back today for 2nd audition because they tell u be prepared to pay! They are not accreditated by BBB either so don’t give your hard earned money away, spend it on your children instead!

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  8. Tim

    90% of these comments could be answered by just reading the article. The bottom line is, a real job pays YOU. If you pay them, don’t expect it to end in anything but more than empty promises.

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  9. Jay

    Anyone have any info on a event called ” The Event March 2013″ which will be held at a marriott hotel in Irving, tx 9-1-12?

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  10. BBB

    Can anyone who has any past run-in’s with CASTING HUB please e-mail me at bbb4@stlouisbbb.org? I work for the Better Business Bureau in St. Louis, Missouri and we are trying to do some research on this company as they are scheduling auditions here. It would be a huge help! Thanks!

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  11. Tany

    They said the name is “all star talent ” . I went to their office and it looked pretty nice and cool. He told me that I have to pay about 150 for my photos then I will start working there. I only put a deposit of $10. I’m supposed to go back tomorrow to start and pay the rest! IS this legit ??? the address is 575 7th ave. 5th. floor nyc ! midtown. Can u please help me. I’m supposed to be there by 12.

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  12. Jack

    Does anyone have any information on the photographer “Bumper” that Model Discovery Casting is using? Or info on Model Discovery Casting? They don’t claim to be an ageny, but they claim to have accolades from modeling agencies, which they show on their website. Apparently, they take 50 photos of you, and then give you a USB of the photos. If you buy it, it is $299. They also have a living social deal for a $100 credit towards photos or hair/make-up.

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  15. Kisha

    I’ve purchased a deal for my daughter to attend a photo shoot with Model Discovery Casting. They claim to have agencies that we can speak with on-site. I am in Washington DC – they seem to have gone to other states. Have you heard anything about this?

    Reply ↓
    1. casting

      You do not need to purchase anything to get agency contact info. That information is public. Agents are not on-site to anything called “casting” since agents have no part to play in casting anything. Nor would any reputable company use the words “model discovery” in their name. Hope you did not pay too much.

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  16. Anonymous

    Just to clarify something, they don’t personally “look” for jobs, but they have a list of casting calls in your area and all around the country.

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  17. Anonymous

    I just found a casting agency called “U.S. Casting”. They seem legitimate, but I’m new to this, so I was wondering if anybody knows anything about them. They search for casting calls all around the country and send them to you. They even create a portfolio for you. You don’t have to pay for anything excpet the shipping and handling of the portfolio. They have a website that you can join, and you can also call them to set everything up. Does anybody know if this is a scam or not?

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    1. Elsa

      Nobody creates free portfolios and searches for auditions for you for free. Looks like they have a monthly fee.

      from their TOS
      “Charges will appear on your credit card statement as: “USCasting.tv …
      Free Trial Agreement”

      Also looks like they may be scraping Craigslist for casting calls.

      When you Google a sentence of their home page casting calls you get craigslist ads.

      Major Network NOW CASTING: Children with Past Life Memories
      New Mexico, Albuquerque Jobs – Craigslist (Yesterday) – NOW CASTING CHILDREN WITH PAST LIFE MEMORIES: Are you a parent whose child has or is experiencing past life memories?

      I googled 3 castings in a row and they all came up craigslist, here is one more http://nashville.craigslist.org/tlg/3144969469.html.

      and here is a sample casting below. It was posted today, expires in October for a shoot 2 days ago

      Posted: July 17, 2012
      Expiration: November 29, 2012
      Location: Nashville, Tennessee

      Full Description:
      Extras needed for a pop music video that is shooting on Monday, July 15th in Nashville. Extras needed between the hours of 2pm to 8pm. Formal dress attire required.

      Problem with that is that when you submit your profile, it goes into the trash because you cannot forward through craigslist and they will not give you a direct email because the email is craigslist which is why they cover up the contact info.

      Also, when sites scrape craigslist, they scrape the scams as well.

      I know this because I just went through something similar. I paid for over 6 months for some other site and never got a response. My husband knows a lot about internet and started Googling the castings and found them all on Craigslist. He said the emails went to craigslist so probably not even getting my submissions. I was furious. I created a fake casting on Craigslist and the website I was paying for picked it up a few days later. I submitted myself through the site, and since craigslist was supposed to go to me, I waited. I never got my own submission and found out that Craigslist does not forward things that are not sent directly due to spam. I emailed the stupid site and wanted a refund. They told me they do not guarantee that my submission will actually reach anyone since they only act as a ‘database’ and are not accountable.

      http://www.ripoffreport.com/modeling-talent-agencies/customerservis-uscas/customerservis-uscasting-tv-f-93486.htm

      http://www.ripoffreport.com/modeling-talent-agencies/uscasting-llc/uscasting-llc-trouble-cancell-b69a4.htm

      If you are looking for a submission service stick with the reliable ones like lacasting.

      Reply ↓
    2. casting

      I know nothing of them or ever heard of them but I know that “shipping and handling” scams have been around for years. Not sure if this is it, but the way most work is they charge a small fee for a trial and the fee goes to “shipping” they say. Buried in their fine print, they tell you that the product is electronic and nothing actually gets shipped by mail. It confuses people past the trial period because they are waiting for a package and by the time they cancel, many charges are added for not cancelling in the trial.

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  18. catdog

    So is explore talent ok to use or should we avoid that to?

    Reply ↓
  19. T.Jennings

    okay a few weeks ago I replied to a modeling AD. he asked for a Head Shot & Qualification experience and availability. After I sent him all he requested a few days later he responded & asked me more questions & told me I had it. The person I was modeling for was a women who is a fashion designer asked me for my height size and measurements also shoe size & asked me to start practicing poses & I could bring anybody I want with me to the shoot for comfort and that his client sends $300 partial payment to her models 1st & pay $300 at the shoot. She sent me a check for $1958 & then asked if I could send 1600 of it back because the remaining was supposed to go to the company that they were renting the equipment from. I deposited the check & asked the bank to hold it to make sure that it was real and not fake
    is this a scam

    Reply ↓
    1. casting

      Yes, THIS IS A SCAM. Nobody pays models they never met, much less relies on strangers to forward money. Anyone who asks you to send money anywhere is a scam. This is the Nigerian check scam! It is also called the 419 scam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_scam. The check is a fake. Your bank will hold you accountable for that money.

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  20. VM

    Hi, thanks for warning people about modeling scams. Do you know anythig about Model Discovery Castings and their photographer John “bumper” DeMari? Could not find much about them except their own web-pages. No mention of their allegedly celebrity and advertizing work. This is what they claim on LivingSocial: Model Discovery Casting, All-Ages Fashion Shoot with Celebrity Photographer Plus Casting Call with Modeling Agent and $100 Toward Hair, Makeup, or Photo Package. Appreciate your comments!

    Reply ↓
    1. casting

      Not sure what they do. They sound like they do photo packages. If you are looking for photo packages, this sounds like a paid service. If they promise work IF and ONLY IF you buy their packages, then it may be deceitful. People who provide photo services are not casting directors and casting directors are not photographers.

      Think of it in terms of any other industry. Would you expect to answer a want ad for a car salesman job and be told you first need to buy one of their cars to have a chance to even meet someone in HR?

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  21. AC

    I forget the name of the one in Tampa but I was able to successfully shoot them down after an unwary ad in the papers. Called the number that registers legitimate agencies and everything, it was delicious-haven’t seen the damn scam since, it was actually her second try under a new method after being taken to court a first time before.

    Too bad these are more common than the real ones though, who knows any good sites to find FL auditions?

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  22. Morelia

    Is one source talent a scam cause im in it but there’s nothing of work or anything! I check online daily but I can’t find any work! Confused!?

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  23. Ty Cherry

    Also, I applied to a job on craigslists for manager in logistics in early May.They wanted me to send my resume and we did an over the phone interview,they sent me a job disclosure agreement,temporary employment agreement,and another form to sign and fax back.They said I will be working the first 30 days for training and if I do good I will sign a permanent employment agreement.The site is GEO-Logistics.com .I just don’t know what to believe anymore because even though them asking for my resume or doing all they’ve done, it still may be a scam.

    Reply ↓
    1. casting

      What does logistics have to do with acting? Either way, employers meet you in person. Why would anyone hire someone sight unseen? The website you mentioned does not exist and it sounds like a Nigerian check scam. That scam works by sending out fake checks, asking people to cash them, send some unknown party some money through Western Union and keep the rest for the “great” work you have not even done. The checks (cashiers checks, money orders) are forged. The victims will be held accountable by their banks weeks later when the bank figures out the thing is fake. Many of these are on Craigslist. The Craigslist warning even tells you about this stuff and meeting people in person to be sure.

      Reply ↓
  25. Gerald H.

    I just saw some comments about Casting Call Entertainment in las Vegas.
    They are BY ANY STRETCH of the imagination a ridiculous joke.
    They asked me to pay to come to an audition because they had a casting director who I was supposed to be so impressed with that I have to pay to audition for them.. WOW they should have tried that hustle on a newbie. I have been in this biz for 20 years so I sure didnt go for that

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  26. T.Cherry

    Ok, so I found a ad on craigslist in the atlanta area saying they are looking for models for an ad campaign for Tru Religion Jeans, send pics.The next day I was texted to call a number for a conference call which had about 6 other ladies on the phone as well.The guys name is Cameron Bently and he said he was the casting director.I got another text the day after and it said they loved my pics and I need to call Cameron back right away. I did, he said congrats and told me that the excutive producer Sandra Rodriguez loved my photos and that she saw me somewhere before and was really excited to work with me. He said go to elitecastin.com and pay 60 bucks to get union cleared. After I did that Sandra told me she will get back to me within a week by email. When she did, she said she sent my info to corporate and they should be getting back to me within a month. Also when you check out the site and its just how I spelled it, you you really cant do much on it.I just want to know is this is a scam.PLEASE HELP!!

    Reply ↓
    1. casting

      That site does not exist, as you spelled it. Yes, sounds like you may have been scammed. Agencies do not advertise, especially not on Craigslist.

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  27. Aliaza Abutin

    I’ve Googled about this, “Audition America,” & all I’ve read was that it is a scam & that the photos weren’t professional at all. I’m 16 yrs old & I auditioned at my local mall. What I found fishy was that I wanted to auditon to be an actor, NOT a model. But they still made me walk the catwalk. After auditions, I knew I wouldn’t get picked because I messed up every line they made me say. So I was sitting patiently for the results & I was picked to continue on to the finals. They told my mom & I that since I’m new to this that I needed a portfolio (which I already knew that I needed). They told my mom that she needed to pay either the full amount of half just to save my spot for the photo shoot. My mom already payed $100. I want to know if it’s normal to have auditions at a mall? Also that my mom and I don’t know what to do.

    Reply ↓
    1. casting

      Acting auditions are never held in malls nor do casting directors ever require you to buy photoshoots from them! Go to the mall’s portrait / photo store for mall xmas pictures. You will most likely get better pics from them.

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  28. actor

    how should i get started? with acting..the right way

    Reply ↓
    1. casting

      Take some classes, do some community theater, get enough experience to get an agent

      Reply ↓
  29. casting

    That page redirects to some talent convention in Florida. Real auditions for Disney Channel do not have any fees nor do they need a selling section called “Success Stories”. Kinda just looks like another one of these high priced conventions. However, I am quite sure this has nothing to do with the Disney Channel. The page that it redirects to is for something called ‘The Event’ which will be in some convention room near Walt Disney World in Orlando. Page says, “Are you ready for a shot at Hollywood? This is your chance to audition, and be seen by, 60+ agents, casting directors and managers” that is a convention, they will call you and ask for money to participate. These things are not real auditions for jobs and NOT FREE. The celebrities, agents, etc. all get paid to attend and all talent pays to participate.

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  30. Ellen

    THE WHOLE INDUSTRY IS B.S. I GOT SCAMMED BY CASTING CALL ENTERTAINMENT IN LAS VEGAS NEVADA SHARRY FLAREHTY, GARY FAG FLYNN, PHIL VALENTINE, ART LYNCH…. SOME ARE REAL INSTRUCTORS BUT SCAMMAND LIE LIKE THEM ALL. DO NOT TRUST THESE NAMES IN THE INDUSTRY .. SCAM AND LIE AND STEAL MONEY

    Reply ↓

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