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  • Geebo 9:04 am on March 2, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , modeling, ,   

    Modeling scam targets would-be influencers 

    Modeling scam targets would-be influencers

    By Greg Collier

    Modeling is a profession that is already fraught with peril. For aspiring models of any gender the pitfalls can range from being overcharged for photo packages to becoming the victim of human trafficking. Thankfully, today’s story didn’t have such drastic results, but it does show just one of the many ways those starting out can be taken advantage of.

    A man in Southern California was recently arrested for allegedly scamming a woman out of money with a phony modeling contract. The man is said to have reached out to a woman on Instagram and offered her $175 an hour for a photoshoot. The man claimed to be an intern for a record label and was recruiting women for a music video.

    The man is said to have given the woman two checks for $1,000 instead and claimed he was paying her for future photoshoots. All she needed to do was deposit the checks into her bank account and return the overage of the payments back to the supposed photographer.

    As you can probably imagine, the checks turned out to be fraudulent. The woman’s bank called her hours later to let her know that the checks were no good. This victim was lucky considering in most instances of fake check scams the banks usually don’t notify you for days and by that time the scammer is usually long gone with your money.

    This scammer’s downfall was that he tried to victimize the woman again. While she was at the police station reporting the crime, the scammer called her trying to set up another meeting for another photoshoot. He was promptly arrested shortly thereafter.

    Aspiring models should be wary of any unsolicited offer that comes through social media. They should also research any potential offers to make sure they’re dealing with legitimate professionals and agencies.

    Lastly, no job, no matter what field, will ask you to deposit a check into your bank and then ask for some of the money back. That’s a dead giveaway that the check is a fake. If the scammer in this case were to have disappeared, the victim would have been responsible for the amount of the checks and any penalties the bank may have charged.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on March 9, 2020 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , huntsville, Huntsville International Airport, modeling,   

    Modeling scam victim almost lured into trafficking 

    Modeling scam victim almost lured into trafficking

    Whenever we discuss the modeling scam we usually talk about how it could lead the victim into spending a lot of money that they don’t need to. For example, a number of online and radio ads for modeling jobs are actually just sales pitches for overpriced classes or photo packages. However, there is a much darker side to the modeling scam that can have grave consequences for the victims involved and that is human trafficking. Traffickers often pose as modeling or talent agents in order to find victims and a recent story shows what lengths they will go to find their victims.

    In Huntsville, Alabama it’s believed a 21-year-old woman almost fell victim to human traffickers posing as a modeling agency. If it wasn’t for her mother losing her car in the airport parking lot the woman might have never been seen again. When an airport employee saw the woman frantically looking for her car the employee stopped to help the woman. As they got to talking the woman said she had just dropped off her daughter at the terminal and that her daughter was leaving for a modeling offer in Phoenix. The mother told the employee that the agency even bought her daughter the ticket to fly to Phoenix. Thankfully, the airport employee had been trained on how to recognize human trafficking.

    Thankfully, they were able to find the woman before she boarded the plane. The employee was able to convince the woman that the modeling offer may not be on the up and up and arranged to have a police officer escort her at her destination. The employee then called the ‘agency’ to tell them that the woman would be escorted by police. It was shortly thereafter when the woman received texts from the fake modeling agency saying her flight had been canceled. Both Homeland Security and the TSA have said that the phony agency has been linked to other instances of human trafficking.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8TNT4fHJ3g%5D

    If you or a family member has ambitions of getting into modeling, have realistic expectations of what can be achieved in such a field crowded with treachery at every turn. Always do as much research as you can into any offer or opportunity you might find. Not everyone can be a model but these scammers, predators, and traffickers target victims who believe they have a shot in the modeling or entertainment industry and take advantage of their dreams. The Federal Trade Commission website has some tips on how not to get scammed by modeling ads.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 12, 2020 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , modeling,   

    Modeling ad leads to fake check scam 

    Modeling ad leads to fake check scam

    Modeling is a demanding profession where a lot of people could be looking to take advantage of those with hopes of success. Previously, we’ve discussed how some ads for modeling jobs are really just sales pitches for classes or photo packages. In other instances, we’ve seen how some of these ads can lead to even more serious risks like extortion and human trafficking. Now we’re hearing tell of a new twist on one of the modeling scams. Or should we say we’re hearing reports about a new variation of that age-old classic, the fake check scam?

    A man from Columbus, Ohio is a local model and has been working to take his career even further. He recently responded to an online ad about an open casting call for models that was supposed to have been for some kind of advertising deal. After he responded to the ad he received a check for $2,500. The supposed modeling agent reportedly urged the man to deposit the check into the man’s bank account. He was then instructed to use the money to pay for the studio and photographer and then transfer the difference back to the agent. However, this model was already wary of scams and knew the check was a fake.

    While the article doesn’t go into detail, we imagine that the studio and photographer were probably just other places the money would have been electronically transferred or wired to. In these check scams, the victims are always instructed to deposit the check to their bank account and then send portions of the money to various places. It usually takes a couple of days before the bank where the check was deposited finds out the check was fake. By this time the scammers are gone and the victims have already sent the money out. This leaves the victim responsible for the money now owed to their bank.

    The fake check scam is used from everything from trying to sell an item online to employment scams and now modeling. If someone ever sends you a check and then asks for a portion or all of it back, the odds are pretty likely that it’s a fake and you could be on the hook to your bank for thousands of dollars.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 16, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , modeling, ,   

    Potential modeling scam poses threat 

    Potential modeling scam poses threat

    The modeling scam isn’t one we discuss often but it can have potentially devastating effects. The damage can range anywhere from simply being swindled out of a substantial amount of money to becoming the victim of an online predator. Modeling can artists like to prey upon the insecurities of their victims and promise them lives of luxury and fame even though the odds of becoming a legitimately successful model are about the same as someone becoming a successful professional athlete. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped victims from being scammed and the swindlers are always looking for new ways to find more victims.

    For example, recently in the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina, a number of women were sent text messages asking them if they wanted to be models for Victoria’s Secret. The texter was reportedly posing as a former model and asked the women for photos, personal information, and possibly a meeting. Authorities in the area believe this could potentially be a plot to recruit victims for human trafficking. Usually, human traffickers rely on social media to try to recruit victims instead of text messaging. However, the women that were texted in Myrtle Beach are all public figures in their profession and their numbers could have been obtained in any number of ways.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8TNT4fHJ3g%5D

    If you are thinking about getting into the modeling industry, have realistic expectations and do your research on the pitfalls it entails. What may sound like a great job could be any number of ways you can put yourself in danger. While you may be able to find one or two legitimate modeling jobs online, for the most part, legitimate modeling jobs are done through modeling agencies. The Federal Trade Commission has a website on how to tell if a modeling job is legitimate or if you’re dealing with shady charlatans.

     

  • Geebo 9:08 am on September 19, 2018 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , modeling,   

    The craigslist modeling scam rears its ugly head 

    The craigslist modeling scam rears its ugly head

    One of the more disturbing scams that can usually be found on craigslist is the modeling job scam. The scammer places an ad on craigslist for a modeling job that is guaranteed to be easy money. The reality is that most of these ads are designed to do one of many things. They can lead from everything to you being bilked out of thousands of dollars for portfolios and modeling classes, to extortion, and human trafficking. Unsurprisingly, since craigslist refuses to moderate their own site, these dangerous scams continue to proliferate.

    In Colorado Springs, one such ad popped up on craigslist promising $500 to $1000 for a photoshoot. The ad requested that potential models submit headshots and pictures of the applicants in bikinis. The supposed shoot wasn’t even taking place in any kind of studio but rather in some guy’s house. I can almost guarantee that if anyone has sent in pictures to this so-called photographer that the conversation quickly turned towards requests for more explicit photos as this was probably someone allegedly looking for women to be in adult videos.

    Not everyone can be a model but these scammers, predators, and traffickers target victims who believe they have a shot in the modeling industry and take advantage of their dreams. If someone is advertising for models on craigslist or social media, they probably don’t have the best intentions in mind. The Federal Trade Commission website has some tips on how not to get scammed by modeling ads.

     

    • O.W 1:19 pm on April 1, 2019 Permalink

      This is bullsh*t. Yes SOMETIMES you will come across a jackass. I have been shooting for OVER 7 YEARS NOW and I have booked so many shoots off craigslist ads and other similar websites. Booking a shoot through social media is so extremely common! Who ever wrote this article is misinformed, they have all the wrong information, none of this is fact. Disregard this nonsense because that’s all this article is, pure nonsense lol
      You can come across a jerk on ANY website that involves modeling jobs. Just be careful. If you notice a red flag, big or small, don’t ignore it.
      Again, this article is a bunch of trash, none of it is fact. I’m a female model. I know firsthand from seven years of experience! I’m also a business consultant/coach, as well as a life coach(5 years experience with this) and my advice has NEVER steered anyone in the wrong direction. My advice has only made so many models, so many people, more successful in their careers and their lives.
      Just be careful and be smart when booking shoots! Pay attention to any and all red flags. If you see a red flag(big or small) then stop all communication with that person. Otherwise have fun at your shoot!!

    • Geebo 2:23 pm on April 1, 2019 Permalink

      Thank you for your comment, however, we stand by what we have stated as we have documented multiple instances of where craigslist modeling ads have led to unsavory circumstances for their victims.

      Also, we’d be remiss if we didn’t note the similarity between your comment and those who are in the business of sex trafficking when they say they don’t know any pimps or have a pimp.

    • O 6:38 pm on April 1, 2019 Permalink

      Smh..my comment is similar to a sex traffickers comment? No it’s not. That’s just ridiculous to even say. You’re only saying something so ridiculous as that because you’re being called out for not checking your facts. To say something so moronic like that, is because you know I’m right and rather then checking your facts you wrote down a bunch of exaggerated crap, followed by a moronic comment.
      Like I said in my first comment, yes, SOMETIMES you come across a jack ass on these websites but as long as you’re smart and you pay attention to any and all red flags, you will be fine. If you notice a red flag, even a tiny one, you stop all communication!
      You see, unlike you, I know all of this from actual experience.
      Check your facts next time you write a blog.

      Sincerely,
      A survivor of sex trafficking

    • Geebo 10:13 pm on April 1, 2019 Permalink

      Just because someone swims in shark-infested waters and doesn’t get bit doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. We’d rather have our readers err on the side of caution than taking any chances on a site rife with criminality like craigslist.

    • Armando 3:00 pm on August 24, 2022 Permalink

      I do believe craiglist has a lot of fake people. I could say more than half are not real jobs. I found a lot red flags more than oportunities but you do find some work here and there. The majority of this so called “photographers” wants very thin girls very young and very native if it’s possible. Most of them wants their phone numbers to date them oh who knows what else. I hardly have any jobs from here only once in a blue moon.

    • Armando 3:02 pm on August 24, 2022 Permalink

      Oh and by the way. We all qualify for modeling. Not fashion modeling since that one have a very specific requirements.

  • Geebo 9:58 am on June 13, 2018 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , modeling,   

    Craigslist modeling job turns into blackmail 

    Craigslist modeling job turns into blackmail

    We’ve posted about online modeling job scams in the past, specifically those found on craigslist. At the very least these scams could rip you off for thousands of dollars on phony classes or portfolios. For instance, a lot of those radio ads you hear for modeling jobs are actually just sales pitches for these services. In some drastic but not unheard of cases some online modeling ads are actually trying to lure victims into the world of human trafficking.

    One of the other modeling scam outcomes we haven’t discussed yet is blackmail. One woman in Fort Worth, Texas, unfortunately, found this out the hard way. The 22-year-old woman responded to a craigslist ad for a supposed modeling agency. The alleged agency asked her to send some risqué photos including those in various states of undress. However, the agency turned out to not be an agency at all but instead was just one man who threatened to post the photos to social media if the victim didn’t supply more. The victim went to police who are currently investigating the matter.

    Blackmailers typically don’t expect people to go to police out of fear of embarrassment and sadly, this has become an increasingly common occurrence among modeling ads. While there are legitimate modeling opportunities online, they are few and far between compared to all the ads that promise fame and fortune. On the FTC website, there is a page dedicated to how to not only protect yourself from modeling scams like this but also how to tell if a modeling agency is a fake.

     

  • Geebo 10:01 am on February 22, 2018 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , modeling,   

    Why online modeling jobs are bad news 

    Why online modeling jobs are bad news

    Earlier this week, we put up a blog post about two girls from California were saved from potential human traffickers after being offered a bogus modeling job. More recently, another modeling scam appeared, this time in Michigan where someone was offering modeling jobs on craigslist and Facebook for a store whose owner had no idea their store was being used in a scam. While the false promises of modeling jobs are often used by human traffickers, they’re used by online predators as well.

    While those are drastic situations, there are other modeling scams that involve trying to get you to spend money on things you shouldn’t have to. For example, many ads for modeling jobs that you’ll find online or hear about on the radio aren’t jobs at all. There actually more of a sales pitch to get you to buy things like classes and photos, but only through them.

    While you may be able to find one or two legitimate modeling jobs online, for the most part legitimate modeling jobs are done through modeling agencies. If someone is advertising for models on craigslist it’s more than likely they don’t have the best intentions in mind to say the least. The Federal Trade Commission website has some tips on how not to get scammed by modeling ads.

     

  • Geebo 9:59 am on February 19, 2018 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: American Airlines, Denice Miracle, , modeling,   

    Airline employee saves girls from human trafficking scheme 

    Airline employee saves girls from human trafficking scheme

    Late last week, an observant employee of American Airlines at a Sacramento, California, airport is credited with saving two underage girls from potentially falling into the hands of a human trafficker. The airline agent, Denice Miracle, noticed that the two girls, ages 17 and 15, had one way tickets to New York and no ID. The agent felt something was wrong and contacted the Sheriff’s department.

    The girls weren’t even aware their tickets had no return trip. They told police that the man who allegedly bought the tickets for them promised them $2000 for a modeling job, a common tactic used by traffickers. When the girls were told they were probably about to be trafficked they said they wouldn’t let that happen, not realizing they would have had no choice in the matter once they got to New York.

    The purported trafficker had approached the girls through social media which is another common trick of traffickers. The traffickers will prey upon a teenager’s vanity, promising them a lot of money quickly. In reality the traffickers are getting ready to put them out on the street or on Backpage. The fact that the girls had no ID with them also speaks volume as it would make it more difficult for trafficking victims to escape their captors without ID.

    Parents should talk to their kids not only about the dangers of talking to strangers on social media, but to be very wary of anyone offering them large sums of money for some kind of modeling or entertainment job. Legitimate talent or modeling agents would not try to circumvent parents for fear of legal repercussions.

     

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