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What about other types of scams?

There are lots of scams, some are obvious and easy to spot and some are more difficult.

Model agencies are classed as Employment Agencies and so are regulated by law. You may feel that the laws just aren't tough enough, but some of the fraudsters may feel that the laws are too tough, so they try to find a way around them.

One way around the law is not to be a model agency at all - Model management seems to be the latest scam, the fraudsters claim to 'manage' models and to promote them to top agencies, or to be scouts for famous agencies.
So, be just as careful about dealing with people who claim to be a model management agency, a model promotion agency or similar. If you read their 'small print' carefully, you'll see that they only promise to try to place people with agencies, they don't actually promise anything worthwhile.

Using 'Model Management' to get around the agency laws seems to have started in the USA where, in many states, modelling agencies have to be licenced by the State. Typically, dodgy agencies would lose their licence and so would re-open as model managers instead!

Some of the 'Managers' claim to model other talent as well as models - actors and film extras for example. This makes them look bigger and more reputable.

We are not saying that everyone who claims to provide model management services is a scam artist - some may be genuine but you need to be very careful!

The popular methods are to advertise in local papers, at Job Centres (how can Job Centres accept such 'job' offers?) and by approaching people in fashionable shops. The scam works well because the 'Scouts' who approach people may themselves be innocent victims who believe that the management agency is genuine and because of this they are able to convince the people they approach. They only find out that they have been duping people when their commission cheques bounce! They are themselves then replaced by new victims, after a few weeks the agency closes, reopening immediately under another name but with the same owners.

Another method is for the scam 'managers' to travel around the country, holding 'seminars', often in smart hotels. They then hold slick presentations which half-promise to introduce their victims to top agencies. They charge a hefty fee for this of course, but may promise to refund the money if they don't succeed.
Victims who fall for this con may find that they can't get their money back because the management agency gave them a false name and address and can't be found - but we know of at least one of these thieves whose victims do get approached by 'a top agency' - but guess what? The agency is owned by the same people and they demand another fee!

One new 'Model Management Business' is asking for a £35 deposit by credit card which they say will be refunded if you turn up for your 'interview'. If you do turn up you will have to spend all day there and will be pressurised into paying for photos to be taken. A bit like timeshare really....

Our standard advice applies to this scam too - DON'T PAY ANYBODY ANYTHING!
And anyway, do you really think it's a good idea to give your credit card details to a stranger?

We know of one of these 'Model Managers' who hired a studio from a perfectly respectable photographer and produced 'portfolios' for 15 of their victims, all on the same day, at a cost of just under £200 each. Only 1 of their victims had any possible potential as a model and as for the portfolios.... well a good photographer could produce 2 in a full day, certainly not 15.
We don't know whether the portfolio photos were any good because none of the victims seem to have received them!

Some scams are more subtle than these examples.
Before thieves can part you from your money they need to get your trust, and one way of getting your trust is to get other people, who appear to be independant, to recommend them.

So far so good, but some of the 'organisations' that recommend dodgy agencies are just as dodgy themselves.
For example, there is one very well known 'agency' that claims to be a founder member of a professional association. The only problem is that the 'professional association' is actually owned by the same people that own the agency!

And how would you feel about a website that gives similar advice to us, but suggests that, to make sure that you don't get scammed, you should join one of the agencies that they recommend? Sounds good so far, but what if they've 'forgotten' to tell you that they recommend the agencies that pay them several hundred pounds each to go on to the recommended list?

So now you know why we don't recommend agencies and why we won't accept any adverts on this site (except for ads supplied by Google)