New York Models’ Tear Sheets

Their walls are covered with proof of amazing talent and clients.

Next Models’ Tear Sheets

But there are far more “agencies” that are really just scams. Shysters love to prey on aspiring models. People with stars in their eyes are easy targets!

Here are some signs that a so-called agency is not on the up and up:

1. They require a fee along with your photo submission to consider representing you.

2. They charge a fee for you to sign with their “agency.”

3. They charge a set monthly fee to represent you (this is not the same as charging you for expenses they incur to rep you, like postage, FedEx, courier fees etc.—and often a fee to maintain your photo on their website. Legit agencies do deduct these costs from their models’ earnings).

4. They found your photo on the Internet, and even though their agency is located nowhere near you (several states away, or even overseas), they claim they will get you work, as long as you provide…yes, some kind of fee.

5. They require you to take any photos that make you uncomfortable (e.g. in skimpy clothing, or, worse, pressure you to take your clothes off) or require you shoot with a particular photographer and pay exorbitant prices for photos (I’ll get into what “exorbitant” is in an upcoming post).

Have you been the victim of any of these scams? Comment and fill us in.

There are many more scams out there; I’ll have to do a part 2 to this post. Getting informed is your best defense against scam artists. For now, read all the model posts on this blog and all the Model Articles on my site. Also, check out this great info from the Federal Trade Commission on avoiding model scams.

Don’t forget to enter the Modeling Mentor Model Search if you haven’t yet (of course there is no fee!). And sign up for my Free Monthly Modeling Newsletter.