I just got my profile approved yesterday and have already received about ten messages, some of which are clearly some sort of scam, but this one seems a little more promising so I just want to check.

This is original message I got from this photographer:
"I am doing a commercial print and catalog fashion shoot in Dallas and I think you may be a goof fit for this project. Models will be paid $500. No experience necessary. Please email me at [email protected] for details.

God Bless,

Kristen"

I sent her this email:
"Hello Kristen,

I just received your message on Model Mayhem, and I am definitely interested in this shoot. When and where will it be? And what do I need to do to get involved?

Thanks,
Abby"

And she replied with this:
"I am arranging 2 commercial fitness catalog photoshoots during the next month in Dallas. The catalog is being shot for a fitness manufacturer which sells through a number of large chain retailers. This will be a national campaign/catalog. The first one is the week of September 25. We will be shooting September 25 & 26. The sessions are 9am, 1pm and 6pm. Each will run for 3 hours and we will handle hair, makeup and wardrobe. I would only need you for a single 3 hour shoot on any one of the days. The shoots pay $500 for a 3 hour shoot and I can use you for both shoots, the one the week of September 25 and the subsequent shoot in late October. That later date is not yet set.

If you are more comfortable having a friend, spouse or parent accompany you to your shoot, I encourage you to do so as long as they agree not to interfere with the creative process. I will let you know how to get to the studio and will provide you with a model release to review once I qualify you for the shoot. I look forward to working with you and hope that you are as excited as I am about this project. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Lastly, could you please create a model profile to keep on file. Just follow this link:  Model Profile


Kristen Long

Kristen Long Photography"

The link is to a google form asking my name and birthday and measurements, and a password, supposedly because I'm making an account for something (?), but it's just a google form so I am very confused.


This doesn't have all the signs of a big scam, liking asking me to send them money or offering to send me money right away, and aside from that one typo, there is good grammar.

If you have any insights please let me know!

Insights not really needed.



Scam.

It sounds more reasonable because the scammers are catching on to what gives them away and are trying to avoid those things.

So read the scam alerts from MM.

(And otherwise, though, best of fortune here, but don't try to go too fast, and - if they're in conflict - follow your head more than your hopes and ambitions.)

As you said, the typical signs of a scam are not present at this point.  However, what I find suspicious is the rate of compensation since they are offering you $500 for a three hour shoot.  In your MM profile it says that you have "no experience" so I can't figure out why they would offer this much.  If they are willing to pay $500 for three hours they could easily get a highly experienced model for the job.

The person that messaged you said "I am arranging 2 commercial fitness catalog photoshoots during the next month in Dallas. The catalog is being shot for a fitness manufacturer which sells through a number of large chain retailers. This will be a national campaign/catalog".  I think a legitimate photographer that has a client paying her to shoot a catalog is going to want to use a model that has as much experience as possible for the sake of their own reputation.  I can't imagine using a model with no experience and having to instruct the model every step of the way.

  I would definitely proceed with a great deal of caution.

Thank you for your replies! I really do think it is a scam now, particularly since now she is asking me to send nude pictures so she can "assess my body type and shape"...

Probably not even a 'she'.

I just got this reply from "her" after I asked if I could just send in bathing suit pictures...

"Hi Abby, I do think I can use you. I understand your reluctance but for my swimsuit/fitness projects, the nudes are an absolute requirement and I need to see knees to top of head without anything covered. Since these shots are not covered by your model release, they remain your property and cannot be distributed in any way ever without your permission. I am a professional photographer and have been so for over 5 years and have these from all for my swimsuit models. Please be assured that I delete them after my initial review and it will be as if they never existed. I have had some bad experiences with models who turn out to be inappropriate for a shoot and only discover this the day of the shoot when it is too late to find a replacement and after thousands of dollars have been committed. I review these shots from all of the models I use and I hope that I'm not insulting you when I tell you that yours won't be any more memorable than any of the others. So this internal review aspect of the gig couldn't possibly come back to haunt you at all in the future. There are no copies made, electronic or otherwise and the photos are deleted by me, from my computer after review. I do appreciate your concerns, most new models have similar concerns.

I hope you understand that the catalog and campaign is national, so there will be a lot of  of  exposure from this project.  If you can travel, expenses paid in advance, I have a number of location shoots to staff within the next few months as well. We will be shooting in Kauai in October and I am recruiting models for that project as well.

If you want some references to my work please send Mary Sabo an email. She has modeled for me in the past and also assists me with arrangements.  You can see the work we did together  http://lexmila.com/clothing  . [email protected]"

OP, why are you wasting time and energy on bs like that?   Dallas doesn't have many real agencies but reach out to the few that are there.   In addition try to make it to larger markets.   Miami is one.   Fashion week is coming up.   At 6'0" you may actually be too tall for some castings but you never know.   Use the browse feature here and search out some of the fashion and commercial photographers near you.   Dallas has PLENTY.   Find a few make-up artists as well.   At 18 the clock is ticking.   As for the offer probably not a good ideal to send nudes even to what may be a legit casting unless you are a nude model.   This is a good place for information on the industry:   http://www.newmodels.com/   

Its doubtful anyone is ever going to offer a model a lot of money for any clothed fashion without a in person casting.   While $500.00 isn't a lot of money chances are this offer is crap.

I think this person writes very well but the offer of all expense paid travel is too suspicious to me.  If I needed models for a shoot in Hawaii I would get experienced local models.  I can't imagine bringing in models from Texas and paying their travel expenses.

"She" said this:
"I hope you understand that the catalog and campaign is national, so there will be a lot of  of  exposure from this project."

But notice that the model in this link is not credited:
http://lexmila.com/clothing

You say that you received the first message on MM and then you switched to email?  I'm betting that the MM account has already been deleted.  BTW did you report the message via the flag at the bottom of the message?

Op, this is absolutely a scam, and yes the signs are there.
1st. I cannot find easily their website, or any reference to Kristen Long as a photographer. If they are big enough to be shooting a national campaign then it is extremely likely that you would find reference to them on the web. I can only find a Kristin Long photography with an i instead of an e in Kristen, my guess is they are trying to piggy back of of her.
2nd. No professional that I have seen uses a gmail account, except for maybe a private account.
3rd. As far as I can tell, this is not a nude shoot, nor do you do nudes, so there is absolutely no need for the photographer to ask for anything more than bikini shots, this to me is the biggest sign of all.
4th. 'She' gives you a reference to contact, with guess what, another gmail account. Guaranteed this is another account by the same person trying to scam some nudes out of you.
Like what has been mentioned, as a commercial photographer, I would never hire an unknown, inexperienced model who only has a couple of photos in her port and none of those are fitness/sports shots. Then offer her $500 for a few hours work. This person likely a guy is praying on you as you are hew here.
As stated if this message has come through MM please CAM them by going to the top of the page, clicking on help, then click on 'Contact a Moderator' and report, so this scumbag can be removed.
Sorry for the dodgy start you have had here on MM, but keep in there, with your stats and looks I'm sure there will be better 'legitimate' offer to come, I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future. ☺

Real casting agents get models from agencies, not Model Mayhem.

NCL

New Models :Learn about scams
https://www.modelmayhem.com/forums/post/575330

Just noticed a little detail   -- photographer's name matches an only 2 week old MM account 1,500 miles away from Dallas.


I would classify this as a scam without convincing proof otherwise..

Definitely a SCAM, You posted that this was in Dallas, I just received the EXACT SAME message and emails from her as well, but in Seattle, WA. The second she said she wanted nude shots to "assess my body type" i could already tell it was a scam, so i decided to look into it more, and of course found nothing about her photography on the internet, also that her profile was created barely a few weeks ago, and that her location is all the way in Hollywood. I don't think you would travel to Seattle, to do an international shoot when you are swarming with models all over Hollywood and LA. Plus, the fact that she states it's an international fitness catalog, but does not give any information on the name of the company running the catalog, etc.

I live in Orlando and have been getting the same messages from the same person! definitely a scam, I hope no one sends this person pictures!

They are at it again except this time I received an email from a Mary Lane Photography. Pretty pathetic, I hope no girls send them pictures!

Yes, scam.

It is a bad idea to respond in ANY way. Some people idiotically respond just to jerk the scammer's chain. This is stupid and dangerous since some of these scams have led to real world violence, shakedowns, and murder.

The most surprising aspect you encountered is a request for nudes. Perhaps the scammer has in mind blackmail, rather than the usual scam involving a rubber check.

Trivia: Law enforcement sources have estimated that ~ 33% of Nigeria's GNP is derived from scams like this. Isn't the internet wonderful?