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.

This Post Has 468 Comments

  1. mirindravola

    BE CAREFUL WITH THE MODELING SCHOOL NAMED STUDIO 210 Modeling and Acting Center , located 2900 S Harbor Blvd #210, Santa Ana, CA 92704. https://modelandactoc.com/ SCAMMER !
    this place is not the place to be! I am a former model and unfortunately I registered my daughter who wanted to take over. I thought this school was a good springboard for her and her career in this field. I was able to accompany my daughter in a few classes at this school and honestly, this is not serious. teachers who don’t come to class, classes that don’t make sense and that you can find on YOUTUBE online for free. all the modeling agencies will tell you that you don’t have to go to a modeling school to be able to work in this field. school is worthless. cat pee !! moreover, be careful if you sign a contract with this agency, as there will be no possibility of reimbursement. this school is excessively expensive for what it offers at the end and above all you should know that this school is no longer part of the john casablancas school, it is a franchise school. the manager makes you believe a lot of things, to get you to sign but then no more possibility of going back, as soon as you have paid, you will lose all your money. if you want to be a model and work in this field then contact modeling agencies directly, bypassing this school, which will make you spend your money only. good luck !

  2. Alise

    Launch show case is a JOKE. They have you sit through this long presentation, then have you audition for a few minutes. Then choose who they want to go to the next round. They choose the good and bad talent. So when they pick you don’t think you’ve really made it. They do all this just for you to get to the end about three hours later and say oh to move on to the “show case” it will cost $2500 (we’ll work with you on the payments) you have to pay this amount before you can perform in front of a bunch of strangers who you don’t know if their real agents or not when you get there! I feel like it’s a scam because why do you have to pay to be in a showcase if you were that talented you would just get picked. 2ndly why can’t a person pay the day of when they get there ? Or if you have to pay to hold your spot why do they expect you to put a nice amount down MONTHS before you get there. Red flags all over that. Then Lynn Clark one of the talent managers that judge the ppl is affiliated with a modeling agency that has terrible reviews and known for taking people’s money, at first before this COVID 19 start happening I was going to chance the money and just go, for the experience whether it was fake or not. But Lynn Clark was just too thirsty for me to sign up. She would text me (since I auditioned early 2020) multiple times asking me if I was going to start a payment arrangement. When I already told her if I’m interested I will contact her. I DID see a couple known actresses talking with her on her IG in the comments, but I didn’t see her in any pictures with them and some artist she would post looking for recognition, wouldn’t even respond back to her tag post. So it was like is she connected with them or not. Lastly everything has been crazy right now! Had some complications. Haven’t been responding to messages on my phone. Lynn Clark goes lurking on my IG to see if I posted recently then proceeds to text me “I saw you post on IG so I guess I won’t worry that your sick anymore take care” -_- after that professionalism went out the door. Number one don’t try to check me about not responding to you and saying your checking my IG for clarification. Just because I post on IG doesn’t mean everything is ok with me OR I posted from my cellular device. Tf! If she was so worried about me or family being sick from covid 19 why the f are you asking me back to back if I’m still paying to sign up for the show case that is now in 2021 not 2020 . You don’t care about me! You clearly just want my money. Another flag that this is a scam and unprofessional af : when we auditioned we were told we had a DEADLINE to turn in the minimum payment. It’s BEEN PASSED that deadline, and she was STILL trying to sign me up for this year showcase last minute or next year. If this is real I wouldn’t care because I wouldn’t want to be affiliated with someone who is trying to check me about when I post but not responding to them ASSUMING & don’t even know what’s going on. Your not making me NO TYPE of money therefore don’t ever try to dictate how or when I reply. Launch show case gets a big 0 stars from me. If anybody auditions at the showcase and actually gets hooked up with an agent lmk, because I doubt many of the “special talent” will get past the showcase.

  3. Dianne

    I took my granddaughter for an “audition” for Vocal Star/Vocal star world. She was called back the next day with 40 others, then put in a room where they try and sell you a package (ranging from $5000- $65000.00) for FIVE days!! Then tell you you have to pay your own way to LA for a fake “awards” show….

    Hmmm…a different city every week. 40 chosen, maybe 5 will purchase at 65,000 or less…..times 4 weeks in a month and 12 months in a year……

    We walked out!! Sadly others just sat there….

  4. A.

    NEW INSTAGRAM SCAN STAR – PAID CASTING. THEY POST BUNCH OF JUICY CASTING EVERY DAY, WITH HIGH PAYDAYS, BUT NEVER ANSWER! WHEN I MENTIONED TO THEM THAT IT MIGHT BE SCAM – THEY WAS EXTREMELY RUDE AND BLOCKED!

    THERE IS ONE OF THEIR ADS:

    New Social media Brand Ambassador Jobs, These jobs pay you to work from home promoting the brand Using social platforms. Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, snapchat, facebook and more. Feel free to share with friends who may be interested

    Available to all genders and Ethnic Backgrounds, American and International People.

    * United Airlines: Paid to travel to states or countries and post your adventures to social media to promote United Airlines. $1000 Per Trip plus expenses.

    * Fenty Beauty hiring Ethnic Talent. paid to promote Brand. Talent Chosen will be sent a package per month of product to promote. $1000-$3000 per month.

    * Nars Beauty Hiring Models, MUAs, Hairstylists Paid to promote brand $1500-$4000 per month. Talent Chosen will be sent a package per month of product to promote.

    * Apple Beats hiring Fitness Talent. Paid to promote Brand.Talent Chosen will be sent a package per month of product to promote.

    1. Natalie H

      Wondering if anyone has heard of Society Proformers-same process that everyone is referring to? Free audition, one call back and now the sign up for courses begins. In fact, Diedree H is who is reaching out to us.(she was named below) Looking to hear if they are legit. My daughter was called back for on-line audition and now they want us to sign up for their courses that cost $. We were already interested in acting courses but I don’t want to get stringed into thousands of dollars…

  5. Carol

    We submitted my daughter’s headshots to several modeling agencies. MMG in NYC responded and wanted to meet her. We met with one of the talent agents, who said they would like to work with her, but she would need to get more photographs taken – with full make up and hair, “highly retouched.” She recommended 3 photographers and the price was $1,475. I can’t help thinking that MMG is getting a cut. I also thought that clients wanted to see models in their “natural state” and not made up. This doesn’t quite sound like a scam, but it also doesn’t sound totally legit to me. I would love your thoughts, Erica.

    1. Tonya S.

      What did you end up doing? I’m in the same situation with my daughter now

    2. CHRISTY

      Headshots can be costly but if you want to see if it’s a ruse, tell them you already have a photographer lined up for your head-shots. Heck, tell them is a family member, friend or neighbor. If they insist that you use their photographer RED FLAG!

    3. Whitney

      Not a scam but some agencies do make a profit by having people they sign pay for headshots and then don’t really do much to get them work. So at the end of the day you’re just hitting the pavement yourself looking for auditions and you get to say you have representation, but they don’t do much besides send you a casting call here and there.

  6. Kyleigh

    Ok but so I was on the app called meet me and this person approached me and was like said they were with muse and I don’t know if it’s a scam or not because they were asking about like measurements.

  7. Jeremiah Brannan

    I recently got signed by ICE Model and Talent Management. They didnt ask me to pay a monthly fee or for headshots or anything like that. I went in for an audition, came back the next day and then they picked me. I payed 1795 for an acting and modeling workshop but not for headshots or anything like that. Was I scammed? It’s hard to say, I’ve done my research and most reviews are super old and I cant find a specific situation like mine. Does this sound like a scam, should I stick with it? The first class is on Oct 26th, and its twice a month so I’m not sure. Any advice is appreciated

    1. erica

      If you wanted classes, then OK. But generally, an audition is basically a job interview for actors. Would you expect to go to an interview at say… a clothing store and be asked to pay the store rather then them pay you? No. A job interview is an opportunity for you to make some money, not to be charged. If you go to an audition and are asked to pay, walk away. Would you ever pay money to interview for a job anywhere else? Shady companies that have NO affiliations to any productions use the word audition loosely, for sales pitches. They get people there using the word “audition” and then sell them services such as classes, headshots, showcases, whatever they can. Remember that an audition should be for something specific… as in a 20 year old who looks 16 and can tap dance for some specific role is some specific project. If there is no specific role, then it is simply a sales pitch.

      1. Steve

        I saw an open audition for Talent INC and they had some success stories and I was chosen. It wasn’t to audition for anything in specific but to audition for them to work with me. Being chosen they said I would go to the conference/showcase in Florida where I’d take a few classes, do a performance in front of “people in the industry” and whole itinerary. The whole thing is $2,600 + not including air or hotel. When I met with the director I asked what I’m paying for since nothing is included and she just pointed to the itinerary of the showcase. They have a website and instagram profiles with some engagement but I’m not sure. What threw me off was obviously the price and the fact “people in the industry” very vague. I signed the papers before digging deeper in my research but made it so the first payment of the plan was to happen on the last day of the 7 day period I had to decide. I emailed them saying I no longer want to participate and to get rid of all the paperwork with my info on it. The director was very easy going with that which also throws me back in the “hmm are they legit?” Corner but my skeptic thoughts are still here. Is this a scam?

        1. erica

          Auditions are job interviews and should not cost money. Productions have roles in mind and audition for specific roles. If your instinct is to question something, you are most likely right to do so.

        2. Nasir Muqtadir

          Have the opportunity to audition for them today. I wonder if it’s the same company. What’s the directors name?

          1. Jeanette

            I went o a Talent Inc “audition” last night received a phone call later on to say I`d been successful. The caller became a little short with me after I explained I could not meet the director the next day to discuss terms as I was working a double shift, having had to take time off to attend the audition. He said he would put a question mark next to me place and would email me details. Although initially this sounds like a good opportunity, I have many reservations with regards to what I`m paying for. I can make my own resume with the help of the acting class I am already attending, and they say they take your headshots but don`t print them for you? what exactly am I paying for other than Scott Cooper`s time? I went to the audition thinking they could introduce me to an agency but it seems that that will cost me in the region of £2,300.00. I don`t think I will be going ahead and have still to receive an email from them.

    2. Donnell

      I received an email about the new Game of Thrones sequel. The set up a conference call with 4 other people. The lady explained the project, the travel would be paid for along with pay. I have not heard back in a week. I decided to send an email to follow. They wrote back and said I’ve been picked for the role and they needed a replacement. I would have one or two speaking lines. They told me if I’m not in the actors union nor if I do not have an agency I need to register so I can get you cleared to work on set. I would need to register an they discounted the charge so you can I can work on these type of assignments as they have other work pop up as well.

      “You will pay to get our member hooded sweatshirt which is discounted for you
      as an invited member. You will buy our member hooded shirt to support our causes and help the membership at an invitational discounted price. Proceeds support the children’s hospital and resources to help advocate better health for our membership. We will use your registration with the hoodie and get you cleared.”

      Here is the link: (removed)
      The company name is BBDO Interactive
      (link removed)

      P.S. I have been an extra on 3 different shows and never had to purchase anything. I only had to submit headshots and experience. Is the company legitimated? Please help

      1. erica

        This is not how anything works! If you have worked as an extra you must know that travel is not paid. Extras are always cast locally as they earn about min wage. Extras do not need agencies and legit agents make a percent of YOUR pay, they do not charge upfront fees.

        1. Donnell

          I emailed him back with my concerns. He stated this is a principle role. Attached PDF from Grok Television Production. It’s a small speaking role, but will require electronically submitted table read. The pay rate is $1300 plus per hour depending on your background and experience.

          1. erica

            Well you know the saying… If it sounds too good to be true… it most likely is not true. FYI, Rates for actors in the union come no where close to that and are not hourly. Extras are lucky to make a couple hundred a day. Most extras are paid min. wage. Productions only deal with agents for principal roles. They do not reach out to random people they have never met, do not know if they can even act, off the internet. Those casting breakdowns and production notes are readily available to anyone through sites like https://www.productionweekly.com/ – here is the link to the imdb page which lists who is actually handling principal casting – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857128/fullcredits

            Here is a link to the SAG / Aftra professional actor rate sheet. Keep in mind this is only for union actors, those that have paid their dues and have representation. https://www.sagaftra.org/production-center/contract/810/rate-sheet/document

      2. The Hunchback of Nortre Scam

        Scam. Lucinda Syson is the casting director and she’s not even listed on the “About Us” page of their ugly ass website. None of the staff listed there exist. Plus they contacted me, someone with no acting or industry experience whatsoever, with the same offer. They got my email because it’s on my public IG page… which has 350 followers (mostly friends and acquaintances – I’m only active on my business pages). They obviously paid for followers on their IG page I found (terrible/no engagement) and don’t even post pictures from their own company or clients on IG or on their website. Their website even credits the stock photos they’re using and if you click around enough you’ll find pages where they didn’t write over the random gibberish website templates come with so you can see what your layout will look like with text before it’s published. They have a black model listed with “Hair color: gray, Eye color: green” and a stock photo of some other caucasian model with light brown hair, with her hair color listed as black. On top of that they have multiple pages that just link you to random YouTube videos or their unfinished Shopify store to buy a hoodie.

        Also the person sending their emails has no grammar skillz.

        I could go on and on but hopefully that’s enough to convince you. Don’t waste your time with them and definitely do not sign up for anything, buy anything, accept anything (especially “payment in advance” or money for flights/hotel) or give them any personal information about yourself. They’re trying to get money from you via the hoodie sale (you’ll never get the hoodie btw) and if that doesn’t work they’ll probably try to have you register info about yourself somewhere, for whatever reason, so they can sell it. Oh and if you try to buy the hoodie they’ll probably steal your identity using the personal and card information you submit.

        Sincerely,

        Someone whose been trolling on the internet for far too long. I also work in research and marketing and their whole internet presence is an absolute joke.

        1. erica

          Thank you for the reply!

        2. Donnell

          Thank You Both for your help. 🙂

      3. Brittany Scroggins

        Thank you for this; I got contacted by Beats to do a commercial thingy now I knew they were fake. I couldn’t find any info the side is put up very cheaply. I find BBDO, an advertising agency but it doesn’t have interactive.

    3. Bondreice Hutchinson

      I have just received a email stating that a new company is looking for aspiring models for their online fashion website. They told me I wouldn’t need to travel as they will rent a studio. I wouldn’t have to pay anything but they did mention that the total pay is $3,450 but My percentage will be $600. They do ask for certain information like height and weight. The only thing that bothers me is that I can’t find their website or anything about it. The person who contacted me said that they are a new company and that their website is under construction but the pictures would also help build it. Is this another one of those scams? This was all done over email.

      1. erica

        Yes, its a scam. This is the Nigerian check scam where they send you a check or money order, then tell you to cash it and send “not your share” to whoever. They are hoping the person cashing the check or money order has good standing at their bank which will give you the money before it actually clears. 5 days later, the bank tells them the check they put in was fake and take all your money out of your bank to cover it and hold you liable for the rest since the customer, not bank, is held accountable. When you deposit or cash anything, you are vouching for its legitimacy.

    4. Ryan

      And……..my what happened?

  8. Tyler Johnson

    That’s a good idea to use an anonymous email to respond to potential modeling agencies. I would think that would be a good way to make sure that if they are a scam that they don’t have any of your important information. I’ll have to make sure to do that if I decide to become a model.

  9. Curious Mother

    anyone know about Launch Showcase?

    1. Natalie

      Seriously does anyone know about the launch showcase? Whether if it’s legit or not?

  10. Lynae

    Any idea if “AMTA” casting agency is a scam? They had my daughter return for a second audition – but never asked for money… But it’s been 24 hours and I haven’t heard from them. !

  11. Urban Nomad

    Startnow , has now scammers too . beware .

  12. Tricia

    Is Gigs USA a scam? Has anyone ever worked with this company?

    1. Elizabeth

      Have you figured out if they are legit?

      1. erica

        Anyone requiring payment to get a job is NOT on the level. It is not legal in most of the US to ask for payment in order to get an acting job. Agents are not allowed to ask for money, they get paid as a commission, when you get paid. See http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_1301-1350/ab_1319_bill_20091011_chaptered.html

        People that call and ask for money are NOT agents. They are salespeople selling a service of somekind… People need to read the fine print, the TOS, etc. to find out what they are selling.

        1. erica

          The best way to check sketchy stuff out is by way of a whois search of the domain. See https://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=
          If the site was created recently or the owner is anonymous… think about why. Would you really hand money to a person who is “annonymous?” Many scammy companies change names often to stay ahead of negative reports, the district attorneys, etc.

    2. Carly

      I would like to know the same thing! Gigs USA offered me a job at Tjmaxx for $600 and in the email they said I needed to pay a subscription of $30 so they could send me more and more jobs. I think it is a scam!

      1. erica

        That is not how it works, really. There are many websites which publish casting notices, some for a fee. They are not agents, normally they are telemarketers selling services.

  13. Arturo Delapena

    Okay so I really need help with this recently I was approached by a friend who told me that there is a reality show called house party Miami produced by Warner reality television Productions. I Googled Warner reality Television Productions and can’t find anything on them there’s a company with a similar name but not the exact name as this company. They told me they start filming on March 30th and that I would be getting paid $1,980 every week to do the show. They sent me an email with a contract that I had to print out myself and now they want me to meet up with the sign contract and pay a $50 attorney fee. Is this typical when it comes to casting for a reality show or am I getting scammed? Has anybody heard about this company or show.

  14. Monica

    Has anyone heard of gigsusa.net they offered a photo shoot with tjmaxx that pays $600 a day but I would have to pay $30/month. Would this be a scam I never paid anything but they got my attention with the pay.

    1. erica

      Have you ever had to pay a job? No. That is not how things work. It is not legal to demand money for employment. Read the TOS to know. Telemarketers & sales people can promise anything as long as it is not in writing. No way to prove they promised anything. Salespeople make commissions and will say anything to get the money. 100% scam.

    2. Cherish

      They told me the exact same thing. I saw the Ad on Facebook. She told me I would be good for TjMaxxx for $600.00 to contact her. She even gave me her info. I’m not sure but it sounds way to good to be true.

      1. erica

        If it sounds too good to be true… It most likely is. Just remember to never pay any money to get an audition. Do not get talked into a salesman’s pitch for headshots, classes, online profiles, etc. Casting directors do not advertise normally.

      2. Keisha

        I was told the same thing from Gigs USA. I actually paid for the subscription 3 years ago I didn’t receive any work. Every time I called to see if I was book for work they always say the client is still looking at the pictures and they will get back to me. I e-mail them to cancel my subscription it’s wrong people trying to make money of your dreams.

    3. joana

      CASTING CALLS FOR MODELS (Midtown West)
      compensation: $300 per day
      employment type: employee’s choice
      We are booking several Fashion trade shows in Manhattan

      Looking for males over 5’6” and females over 5’2

      Sizes for both males and females small to medium.

      If needed we will train you for the job no charge

      Work available part time and full time weekends also

      Interviews begin Saturday February 16th

      To apply please send the following information :

      First and last name

      Languages spoken

      Sizes dress or jacket

      A photo does not need to be professional

      Email

      Phone number

      Short bio about previous work

      No experience is required.

      Average pay per day $300

      1. Nakira Stone

        Hey my name is Nakira and I want to be on liv and Maddie to be their Cousin or best friend.

      2. Katie

        location: Savannah, GA
        Schemers: Casting AMTA

        A facebook Ad for casting calls for Disney Channel, local commercials, modeling, etc. I completed the registration for my son through email. Auditions took place at the Double Tree@ 1:00 pm in Savannah, GA . Philip Leader, Deidree Hasty-Alexander & Karla I forgot her last name. We are told that if chosen for call backs tomorrow, we would be notified at 7pm thru text. And if chosen we should be prepared with our payments for which level we would like to register for Silver Elite LEVEL 1 = $1,299. Gold Elite LEVEL 2 = $2,999. Platinum Elite LEVEL 3 = $4,500. Do you think it’s a scam?

        1. erica

          Yes. Disney does not charge to audition. This is not Disney.

        2. Kelly Neil

          We got the same information, only the company is called CGTV. Same prices, same way of doing things.
          It is run by the actor Adrian R’Mante, who played the bellboy in the sweet life of Zack and Cody.
          I ended up paying, they charged on days that were not indicated on the contract and are refusing to refund me.

        3. Jennifer

          My daughter did an online audition for AMTA yesterday and has a call back tomorrow. They did send info about these same packages but haven’t really said where the auditions are headed . She auditioned for Philip Leader. Everything I google about him seems legitimate but I want to be careful I have no intention of sending money for anything. So far they just have our email and phone number, should I be worried?

  15. Nora

    My daughter she signed in from Facebook Ad asking for Vocal Audition. She key in my mobile number and email address. I was looking into my mails when I saw an email from Vocal Star but she didn’t know if it is scam as she so fascinated with the ads and making a surprise for me. So what should I do when she already signed from the Facebook ads and placed her seat confirmation? What shall I do then? I know it is a scam, somehow, and I told her. She is so frightened that she couldn’t sleep. What will happen to my number? Can they still hack or what can I do about it? Please reply me please. I need help in this.

    1. erica

      I am not sure what you are asking. But, if you are worried, do not pay for anything. No one can scam you unless you hand them the cash.

    2. lucky gogo

      I have also registered for vocal star auditions. But I am not sure if it is scam or not. Anyone has ever signed in this ad or no?

      1. Maxence

        It is a scam. They do “real” auditions and then you have to pay your ticket to LA (did this in France) and internships there from 1,600$ to 95,000$. I just went to the auditions this morning and they were trying to make us try out for the American Dream at 5,500$ the 3 day course to ‘meet producers’. A lot of namedropping. Bella Thorne was “supposed to be there but got stuck on stage”. All the people they have ‘proof’ of working with haven’t been famous in years.

        1. Katherine Sloman

          Thank you for saving me a headache. I simply don’t trust anything of an ad anymore

      2. Aireen Sioco

        I signed up my daughter in vocal star for audition and audition was free, after audition if you get picked , they’ll sell you a package of training your child and you have to go to LA.

        1. Curiousmom

          Is vocal Star legit

    3. Cam

      My son did the Vocal Star cattle car “Audition” and they (predictably) called back and let us know he was chosen, congrats, he’s very talented, all that stuff. Then we were informed that we were required to show up the very next morning to register – and pay. Payment is anywhere from 6K to 30K, depending on how much you’re willing to spend on a five day seminar.

      I don’t think this is technically illegal, but this sort of “hook ’em and reel ’em in” approach is definitely unethical. Highly doubt the training these poor kids receive is useful or worth their college savings.

      1. erica

        You are right about that! Actually, this skirts the lines of legality. The people calling are sales people who can say anything. They normally have long contracts which mention they are not casting directors or agents. They know that people will not read the fine print, especially with kids in tow. Some states have taken a hard stance against it, some have not. Some have actually prosecuted, most have not.

    4. Rhea

      Hi. So there is this website called Moris Talent Hunt and they also have their Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter handles. I saw an add for casting of an upcoming Netflix series freshers or experienced could apply?. I texted them about it. They asked me to send in 3 of my recent pictures. The next day they say I am shortlisted for the lead role. Send me a character sketch and script to record a self-tape and send back to them. Then I receive a thread of mails saying I seem to fit in the character. Gave me a number , said it is of their casting director. The casting directors asks me to call him. He talks to me for about 45 mins. Asks me to call to him many times. Note, I responded to him as being interested?. Asks to talk to my parents. Talks to my parents.

      They have their own website. Any time I search it up all the results are from their own site. The casting director also sends me a clip of a model with a verified blue ticked instagram account where she is asking for a role in the same series.

      But I haven’t seen any real looking review on any of their handles while they claim to be a multinational portal.

      They ask us to make our profiles and upgrade it to certain subscriptions after which I can get certain services like promotion on their website , a personal manager , online grooming as for the character I applied for. And their modes of payment are through Visa Card, Paypall etc.

      Could anyone tell if it is legit or scamming on a large scale with big preparation? It would be of great help.

    5. jaena noble

      I applied for a acting program and auditions where on zoom with Joe Lerenzo and Dedree Alexandra. I saw and spoke with them me and about 300 kids addition and I was apparently put on to the call back list and today Dedree me and my mom had a meet and she explained how my mom would need to pay 535 for the acting classes and that Joe was producing a new movie and I might have a chance. I even spoke with Joe and looked him up is this legit to a scam?

  16. Kat

    A person is offering me a catalog work – 4 hours, $1400, out of which $400 I get up front via mailed check and $1000 after the shoot. They offer hair, makeup, clothes, I can bring someone to the shoot with me and they even have a “posing coach” whatever that might be. I just recently parted with my modeling agency and this offer just seems way too good to be true and also seems so weird. Do you think it’s a scam?

    1. erica

      It is 100% scam!

    2. Ness

      Hi Kat , do you remember the name of the company? I received an email with that Same exact details. They even send me a contract to sign. I kind of think it’s a scam, but I’m not too sure. Any suggestions?

  17. DELHI CUSTOM

    Dis someone actually add this comment to a page dealing with modeling scams? Seems there is a parcel for everyone at the Delhi Post Office.

    YOUR PARCEL IS STILL AVAILABLE IN OUR OFFICE, CONTACT US ON: Removed

  18. Megan

    Just putting it out there, I had seen an audition for dancers, singers, and actors for a movie called Oasis that I had submitted to I got an Audition for Beach Girl 1 and was contacted by Aidan Wright. I just received an email from him saying that unfortunately I did not receive a role (not a big deal) but that he was contacting me to see if I was willing to help him with his diet to lose 15lbs by making out with him in his hot tub for every day that he ate healthy and that he had checked with his lawyers to make sure that that was legal. DO NOT RESPOND TO ANY AUDITION INFORMATION THAT HAST TO DO WITH A MOVIE CALLED OASIS IF AIDAN WRIGHT’S NAME IS ATTACHED TO IT!

  19. bry

    Has anyone heard of the ATG company? Hoping to save ourselves from a scam if all possible.

  20. NOT SURE

    HAS ANYONE HEARD OF LA SHOWCASE? ARE THEY A LEGIT COMPANY?

  21. GeegEE

    so at first I was so glad I came upon this forum and got valuable helpful info from everyone. I also love that erica and the freecasting site people take their time to reply back and help everyone. It gives me even more comfort to trust the site and the stuff being published here. but then, now I feel as though a lot of the things you warn us from, such as the fact that large productions don’t publish online or advertise online for casting calls, modeling jobs are not advertised online ever,etc. You yourself have posted it on the site. I don’t mean to insult you in any way, just that all the info I learned has now gotten me confused and therefore worried. like, is this site also just like casting360, castinghub,etc, except that it doesn’t charge for anything and only gives out info for casting calls? or are the casting calls here really real? Do you also research and validate the casting calls you post making sure its legit first? or do you just post it and its at our own risk? You said Disney never advertises online casting calls but I see a casting call for Disney on the site right now. So I’m very worried whether or not I should continue to respond to these casting calls for my little brother anymore because what if i unintentionally cause him to be scammed? Please respond and thyx for the forum and all your efforts in all you provide.

    1. erica

      So to answer this…
      All casting notices are from 3rd parties. It is how all casting / audition sites work when they cover many areas. Casting directors do their thing locally. Most only deal with a few productions at a time. Casting directors are paid to find the right talent for their OWN clients. Sites like this one, allow MANY casting directors to post their notices. They do this to reach more people that may fit.
      This is a free casting site, meaning no one pays anything… not to post, or to apply. It is informational only. I list casting notices, period.
      It is up to the people looking at them to make their own decisions. I simply list the notice and the contact info submitted. No, I have no way of knowing the intentions of the casting director. There is no way to do that. You mentioned some scammy sites, this site is not that. Remember, you pay nothing! This site actually began as a response to, now defunct, scammy sites, that required a money payment for the information. One in particular, wanted money to submit, never gave YOU the info, used a form (not your own email) so that the user would never realize that 99% of those paid submissions got returned and nobody ever saw them. When you submit through a form, (which people love because it’s 1 click, easy, and made to look that way) you have no idea if it got returned. I list the actual emails so people DO KNOW what happened by way of their own email.

      Everyone applying to anything needs to do their own research about the production. Everyone needs to do their own due diligence. Like any job, you need to do your own research into the project. This is a job listing site for the acting / entertainment industry. Just like any other job site, you read it, maybe contact them, and do your own research.

      Every site, both paid and not, will list notices from 3rd parties. No one can protect you but yourself, this is the Internet. I have seen tons of scams listed across all the paid sites as well. Any website, ANY, has no way to know the intention of the person who is posting.

      No one can scam you unless you allow it. Scams involve a victim paying a scammer. My “red flags” involve… YOU paying them in any way. If you apply for any job, you do not expect to have to pay THEM! You do not cash their checks and send back money! If something is too good to be true, it is not true.

      Anyone who says that they will get you a role for any payment is scamming you.

      As for Disney, my commentary is in regards to the companies that will tell people that “your kid will be a star,” but we need payment. It does not work that way. Various Disney companies and projects do have casting calls now and then. They do not ask for any payments, any classes, showcases, etc. My comments are mainly about being told your child will be a star in Disney TV shows. Disney does, now and then, hold open calls for new projects that are hard to cast. They never require payment of any kind. Those opportunities are not on a worldwide casting tour, stopping at every city / town / village, along the way.

      The best defense against the scammers, Disney scammers or otherwise, is research. Every scammy company has either horrible reviews or none at all (because they switch names.) Scammers will pressure people to DO IT NOW or lose the chance. That is a sales tactic because they do not want anyone to Google them.

      Most people would never go to a job interview without knowing what the company is about. No one should go to a casting call without knowing what the company is about.

  22. Glam

    Thanks for sharing.

  23. Bilombo

    The scammers arrived in Canada, Montreal too… (removed), who asked for my daughter’s talent 1590 usd the first down payment the second 2900 usd the third 4900 and the 4th 8900 usd . Also casting was for all ages, new faces, modeling, singing, acting, dancing all together… Be careful!

  24. Almost Got Me In Dallas

    Location: Dallas, TX
    Schemers: Casting (not sure if it is the same as Casting Hub and they conveniently changed their name to Casting, because an internet search pulls up a myraid of hits)
    NOTE: I will post this story on all websites that helped me figure out the company called “Casting” is a scam!

    My story: Heard a radio Ad for casting calls for Disney Channel, local commercials, modeling, etc. I didn’t think it was real because the commercial was so over the top but decided to call for kicks-and-giggles. To my surprise someone actually picked up. I give the lady who answered my name and email address and she sent me info on my audition time for that Saturday and the script for K-mart that I would have to memorize. Note: there were multiple scripts for different age groups. Auditions took place at the Marriott hotel in Dallas. Still skeptical but slightly convinced this may be the real deal as it would be taking place at a hotel ( I mean hotels are legit, they have never checked someone in that would be doing illegal things >_> *sarcasm*), I go. There are lots of people, about 80-100. Mainly kids with their parents. There’s a tall, dark haired guy asking for I.Ds and giving out registration forms. We go into the large meeting room and SAME people who registered us are there. They would be the judges too! (hmmmm) The main presenter (short, rude/blunt, blonde, white lady from France/Nigeria) Gia, says that the reason the same people who registered us will also be our audition judge is because we were the last group for the week and that the moment we stepped into the hotel we were being auditioned. The other two dark haired guys (who registered us) were in the room. They were both relatively young, not pass their 40s. Gia said one of the guys was a top model for Prada back in the day (his beer belly was forming nicely so it must have been waaay waay back in the day) and the other has a young son who is doing well in this business. Gia goes on and gives a presentation mainly about IMTA talent search and gets the crowd riled up about the possibilities of going to the IMTA convention in NYC in July. She said that we must go through them, i.e Casting, in order to get to IMTA. Stating that nowadays entertainers can’t just call an agency and get signed without first going through a casting company like theirs >_> (which I’ve research and found NOT to be true) or that it is hard/near impossible to do it on your own. She says the IMTA event is supposedly huge and key to getting an agent, blah blah blah. Anyways, people are getting excited and kids are getting excited and nervous about not to screwing up their lines. We line up based on our assigned numbers given at registration. The auditions would take place in that same room! Weird huh?!! There were 3 table, next to each other, for the 3 judges: Gia, the two other guys. We are told that if chosen for call backs tomorrow, we would be notified between 6pm- 3am because she says the hours of show business are unpredictable. And if chosen we should be prepared with our payments for which level we would like to register for. LEVEL 1 = $1995. LEVEL 2 (chance at IMTA competition) = $5996. LEVEL 3 (IMTA + US casting program acting and modeling) = $9995. I audition with Gia. It was very short, no longer than 90 seconds. She scribbles some stuff on my paper, gives me no hint of whether she likes my audition or not. That night, I get a text message from Gia around 9 pm (because I missed her call a few minutes back) saying that I made it for call backs tomorrow (Sunday). I am getting excited now, like this really could be the real thing, but I am worried because I don’t have all the money to give them should I be chosen (which, most likely, I would have as this is all a sales scheme). I do some research online to learn more about Casting and if this is really something I should invest my money in. Surprise, surprise, I can’t find anything on the company. A) because of the very general name “Casting” B) because they don’t exist. The IMTA website is real though, but if they are legit and actually help aspiring entertainers out, I don’t know! But lucky me, I stumble on this website about acting and modeling scams and read stories EXACTLY like mine, with the same rude, short blonde lady named Gia!!!! I am livid but happy that I caught this scam in time before I started asking family members to loan me money. On Sunday, the day of call back, I call Gia (without giving her my name) saying I can’t make it. NOT TODAY DEVIL!!

    People, be careful of a company called CASTING (or whatever new name they snort out of their butts) and a short, blond, rude, lady named Gia! False prophets. All of them. You don’t have to pay thousand to get an agent and fulfill your dreams of becoming an entertainer/model. It’s a job- THEY PAY YOU!!!

  25. Angry Consumer

    There is a guy everyone needs to beware of, his name is Larry Herring. He is a bottom feeder in the acting industry. He trash talks every company in the industry including Barbizon, John Casablanca’s, John Robert Powers, 321 Shine, iPOP!, and several other companies just so he can sell his own acting classes and information from his “beware of scams” site that is actually it’s own scam. Regardless of what you think of the companies mentioned above you just needed to be warned that this guy is scum and a scam!

  26. Mariah823

    So “john Robert powers” had an add up saying “Disney is looking for talent ages 4-25” so I sign up. The 1St audition was free but we didn’t even really audition. They just gave us the run down of the company and showed us pictures of stars who came from their company and was successful. Then they had us read off a tiny script like a commercial or something. At least that’s what I did. The the next audition which was the very next day, again I didn’t have to do anything. They just had me pay them my down payment which was $650 UGH, explained rehearsal dates and payment dates. Orientation rolled around and the heffa was like 30 minutes late and still, we didn’t have to perform the script they had us study. Then she told us different information that the people we paid told us. They said we needed to learn the scripts immediately and that we’d be performing them. She said we wouldn’t UGH. So I prayed and thought back on all these things. Now, just to fool people more They gave us a printed bbb report that gave them an A+. Instead of looking them up before that second “audition” I, just now tonight went to look at the bbb myself and it said OUT OF BUSINESS. I’m just so angry bc I saw all these red flags and I was in lala land ignoring them! A big bad gutt feeling came over me on the way to that 2nd audition but I kept going bc I was trying to take risk and be positive. But I will make sure I do a lot more research next time. Still going hard for my dreams tho. And YOU BETTER DO IT TOO!

  27. Angry momma

    Oops, I meant ipop. Autocorrected to iPod.

  28. Angry momma

    I would like to thank all of you for your stories. You all saved my family from what I’m sure would have been an expensive and frustrating experience. We also replied to a casting call broadcast on a radio station here in Reno Nevada, asking if we had a talented child interested in being on shows like shake it up and a few other Disney shows. I was thrilled and thought omg my little 5 year old would be amazing for that. I called the number, received the email for where to go, how to dress, number of family members allowed to attend and to arrive 15 mins early. We listened to their 45 minute Schpeel about the cute little kid that plays Flynn on shake it up how they got him there. They even went so far as to tell us all that in order to succeed in this industry God, family and grades were a must. We approached The lady behind one of the two desks they had set up and my little one did the best he could as he is pretty shy. Didn’t really count on a call back for the next day but thought they had so many nice things to say about how cute he was and that normal 5 year olds typically can’t remember a whole section of a book. We got called back, the whole family was extatic. Told her we would be there. Then started doing a bit of digging and found this blog. We did not go back and I have you all to thank for it. The company is now calling themselves NYLA talent featuring iPod. They want an arm and a leg for their packages and more money for their photo sessions. I hope this post helps others

    1. erica

      Thank you for sharing your story!

    2. Sarah

      OMG we just signed up with NYLA. Is this a scam? or is it an opportunity to try out acting classes and gain some experience.

    3. Sally

      Thank you for sharing because my kids had auditions yesterday over zoom for NYLA Talent and they made the call back list for today and was ask to choose between silver,gold or platinum which is from $950.00 and up. It wasn’t sitting right in my gut. If it was for a role why are we paying.

  29. brandon tarver

    Hey I just recently got a email from pro casting usa, saying that there’s a test shooting going. I have to pay 125 dollars for the prints in a city, and that I would be in a campaign for old navy. Now I’m just trying to make sure that pro casting usa is legit is all really. I don’t want to be in a scam as it is.

    1. Geraldine

      Don’t do it! What real company lists a phone number of 555-5555?

    2. Bob

      Ask them to pay you to come out for the audition and pay for your accommodations. I would. Otherwise, I would tell them no. After all, it is just like if you go to apply for a job either through the employer directly, or through a job service agency. A legit job service agency will not ask you for money before they can get you the job you are asking for, so, why should you pay any talent or audition agencies to get you the job? Doesn’t make sense to me.

  30. Marcy davis

    I was wondering if you have every heard of auditions today out of Pittsburgh PA.

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