The most common scam people ask about in the forums turn out to really be Nigerian Scams. They aren't new... and definitely not only associated with modeling. So, if you receive a message you think may be one, go here http://www.newmodels.com/Nigeria.html , and it should help to clear up some things.

Ok, so if you get an email and you are sure it isn't a Nigerian Scam, but still aren't sure if it is legit, I will break down the common ways to determine whether or not you will be ripped off. Let’s dissect the message you may have received. Often times, there are major clues that tip you off to a scam…. Clue #1: I’m not being mean, I’m just being honest… if you are 5’2 and you receive an e-mail informing you that some agent/ talent coordinator/ designer/ model scout wants to fly you to another country for a “Fashion Show”, be wary. The typical height for a fashion model (runway and editorial) is between 5’8 and 6’0 (www.newmodels.com), and since designers use sample sizes, the odds of them tailoring a garment specifically to you are slim to none. Clue #2: If you are told that you will be sent a Money Order/ Check and you have to cash it and send a portion back to the original sender, be very wary. This is one of the most common scams out there. It’s not just used in the Modeling Industry. It is a well-known scam. This link details it better, http://www.newmodels.com/myths.html Clue #3: If you are asked to do an interview over a web cam, runaway. No reputable agency will ever ask you to undress/pose on a web cam.  Bottom line, if you feel uneasy at all about a “job offer” you receive, do a www.Google.com or www.Google.ca  on the company/ person offering to hire you. More times than not, you will find something pertaining to whether or not it’s a scam immediately.Also, thanks to SayCheez!, you can also use this site to help you decipher whether or not you are dealing with a scammer.

Do I have what it takes to make it in the industry/what genre would I be better in? By going to these links will answer all your questions: Mainstream Modeling (i.e. Fashion, Editorial and Commercial) and Plus-Sized Modeling. DO NOT WORRY IF YOU DON’T FIT ANY OF THOSE STANDARDS!!! You can still model…. Fashion modeling isn’t the end all. There are many other genres that you could go into (i.e. Glamour, Art, Art Nudes, Fetish, Alt, Swimsuit, and Lingerie). You just have to find your niche.

How do I know my exact measurements?:

http://plussize.about.com/od/dressingfo … ements.htm

It’s geared more for full figures but the same directions work for everyone.
Tips: Make sure your measuring tape stays level. The fullest part of your hips means around your butt. If at all possible, have someone else measure you rather than trying to
measure yourself. It will be much more accurate.

Will doing nudes hinder my career? Doing/shooting nudes doesn't make someone a whore/pervert.... Even high fashion involves some sort of nudity (be it topless, implied or full nudity). But, only do nudity if you are completely comfortable. No one would/should ever force you into doing something you just aren’t ready to do. You don’t have to do nudity, but outside of the fashion world, it will limit your paid work opportunities. That doesn’t mean that if you aren’t fashion material you have to do porn. There are various outlets that use nudity in a tasteful manner.

For the sake of your career and reputation, DO NOT start an outing thread in ANY of the forums. They always turn into a he-said/ she-said pissing match and they are against the forum rules https://modelmayhem.com/p.php?thread_id=178611. In the end, you will do more damage to yourself than the person you are outing.

Tattoos… They can enhance and also hinder. For non-mainstream models, tattoos aren’t usually a big deal… it’s mostly the preference of the photographer. But, for commercial and fashion models, there is a Customer and you could lose out on a big job if the Customer is adamant on using a non-tattooed model. You really have to think what’s more important…Your tattoo or your potential career.

I know this was already touched on a little, but it is something that needs to be brought up again….. Often times, you will see posts saying, “I'm only 5'0, but I can kill a runway.... The Industry just isn't being fair......” It’s not about being fair or how hard you can rip the runway. Fashion shows are not about the model. Fashion shows are put on to showcase the clothing. There are many factors that go into why taller models are used. This thread, https://modelmayhem.com/p.php?thread_id=112761, explains it in more detail.

For future reference.... you can also check out the older version of this thread...
https://modelmayhem.com/p.php?thread_id=133755

And, for all my Gorgeous Glamour models out there.... the beautiful Dara_w
has laid down some words of wisdom for you...

ok. so you're thick. and you're a glam model. AS a newbie, you may be confused, we all are at some time, but you need to work out. Please don't have the mentality that "my man says I look good, so apparently I'm model material". I know, I know...it may seem like a logical assumption that guys are always like "hey, you got a fat ass/nice body/nice breasts, you should be a model". This is not necessarily true. 1.You have to work out. What I mean is you must put in at least three sessions a week. Do an ab focus (hey we all need it). If your waist is larger than a 28, you're gonna have trouble getting glam work.Waistlines are UBER Important. Period. Don't make the embarassing mistake of thinking, "I'm bodacious". No.


2. You have to keep your hair and nails done. I mean keep your real hair, lace wigs, regular wigs, weave,  drawstring ponytail,whatever done. Also, let's just make sure that your nails are the same length, not yellowed, well kept and have a fresh pedi.



3. YOU HAVE TO WEAR MAKE-UP IN GLAM (STOP IT!). It's imperative. It doesn't matter that you, your man, whoever doesn't like it, ("my granny says I'm pretty") it's just part of the job. Nobody (that means you) is THAT fine to avoid a face beating.you're boobs/ass/face are not going to carry you over.
Though these seem like no brainers, I just thought I'd do a little reminder to help us through '08.

I would like to thank, Roger (TXPhotog) for the site www.newmodels.com, UdoR for his runway thread, and TheStitchWitch for her link on proper measurements.

FaceReality wrote:
does this mean any new "is this a scam" postings can be replied to with this link and a "look here, dumbass" response?  cuz that's what they're gonna get!

--face reality

I'm not a mod, but I'd say go for it!

Hi
      My name is Alexander Thaddeus,you are one of the few people chosen out of the screening exercise performed by modelmayhem for us saying you have got the physical features we need for our catalogue update,I have a pay Fashion job for you if you are interested,My client wants to update her Catalog with her new year release Fashion outfits and i'm interested in you for the professional shooting no nudity, fetish, bondage, escort and other adult cotent stuff.. so if you are interested you can get back to me.
   
     The shooting will hold at a rented photographers studio in your location,so you dont have to worry about travelling,the name and address of the studio will be fowarded to you before the date of the shooting,all make up will be taken cared of in the studio you can come along with any body of your choice on the day of the shooting,your mum,dad,friend,body-guard anybody you wish to come with just for you to feel comfortable .

     JOB DETAILS:
You have 12 different Fashion outfits to cover,which would be provided by our client on the day of the shooting and you would be paid the $1200
                                                      MANAGEMENT
                                                   ALEXANDER THADDEUS

The truth is, modelmayhem.com is not affiliated with any agencies. We do not perform any type of screening or referrals to any third-party organizations. If any e-mail claims that they got your name from us, then it's a sign of scam.

FaceReality wrote:
does this mean any new "is this a scam" postings can be replied to with this link and a "look here, dumbass" response?  cuz that's what they're gonna get!

--face reality

Why would that be any different than what you do normally?

Greg Cobb Photography wrote:
Why would that be any different than what you do normally?

good point.  at least now the low tolerance for stupidity will be presented with being able to point those to an area for reading more.

--face reality

cheryllynnh wrote:
Okay so I did get a one of the messages for a job and they sent me a check for over 1800 dollars.  It appears to be a real check.  Forgive me for seeming stupid but how can they take the money out of your account without permission.  If you deposit it wouldn't the bank object that you deposit it in.

http://www.snopes.com

cheryllynnh wrote:
So, the check is not good?  That is the question.

2 things, not to sound harsh but

1. did you try and research this yourself? Did you follow the link?

2. Why would someone send you a check for $1800?


http://www.snopes.com/fraud/employment/airfare.asp

Fare Catch

Scam:   Job seekers are lured into wiring part of the cost of their airfare for travel to exotic interview location.

Status:   Real fraud which costs its victims between $200 and $500.

Origins:   Typically, employment frauds in which gullible job seekers are duped into handing some of their money to con artists are designed to appeal to those seeking easy part-time work that can be performed at home (e.g., the reshipper scam, or various envelope stuffing cons). This swindle, however, uses a different lure to entice the overly trusting down the primrose path: it holds out the prospect of glamorous work, often to be performed in exotic
locales.

The scam is simple: You receive an email, letter or phone call offering you a great job. You will be informed the company requires him to wire money to cover a portion of his airfare, this being the corporation's way of ensuring it isn't wasting its resources on candidates that don't bother to show up.

(The new scam involves bad money-orders that you refund a portion of back to the scammer, before finding out in a month that the money order is a fake)

Once the dupe has wired the specified sum to the thief working the con, he will either never again be contacted by the swindler (who will ditch whichever disposable cell phone he used to make and receive these calls), or he will be told there has been a change of plan, that instead of being jetted to some distant place for his tete-a-tete with higher management, he will be interviewed locally by a company representative sent to look him over. The local interview will, of course, fall through — it will either never be set up or it will be arranged then cancelled. Such additional back-and-forthing gives those running the con time to finish fleecing the other job seekers they're working — by keeping the already-swindled from figuring out they've been had, the risk is greatly reduced of some of them running to the police and so tipping the gendarmes to the need to stake out a particular Western Union office. By the time the police are summoned by irate job hunters intent upon recovering their money from the con artists who took them, the flim-flam men are long gone. And so is the cash.

The scheme has been successfully run both on those seeking employment as flight attendants serving aboard corporate jets and on those looking to work as security personnel servicing the rich and famous on very exclusive cruise lines.

For instance, in October 2005, a number of the denizens of the message boards at the Robb Report narrated their encounters with representatives of "Xanadu Clubs International," an entity that presented itself through advertisements on a job search site (Careerbuilder) as a private cruise club not available to the general public. According to the come-ons received from Xanadu, this mysterious company was intent upon hiring people to provide security to the rich and famous on exclusive cruise lines. The catch was the hiring interviews were to take place in the Turks and Caicos Islands, an island grouping 575 miles southeast of Miami. While air travel to this location would be arranged by Xanadu, applicants were required to wire the value of half the airfare to a company representative in advance of the interview, this condition being explained as the corporation's way of ensuring it wasn't squandering its resources on air tickets that would not get used. These monies would be refunded to the applicants at their interviews.

Those who fell for the con wired the amounts requested (often $268) to a Western Union in Orlando, Florida. They were subsequently told there had been a change of plans, that the interviews would instead be held locally. The funds advanced by the job seekers were not returned to them and the promised interviews never took place.

In another version of the same fraud, in the summer of 2005, those answering newspaper ads for flight attendants for corporate jets offering $850 a week with full benefits were asked to send money orders via Western Union to cover half the cost of their airfare to the location where the interviews were being held, the Bahamas. Again, the promise of reimbursement at the interview was given. Again, subsequent to the funds being sent, applicants were informed the interviews would instead be held locally, their monies not returned to them, and the interviews never took place.

Earlier in 2005, the scam was run in central Florida, that time via advertisements for security guards for upscale cruise ships. Security and jail guards sent money by Western Union to pay half the cost of plane tickets to Miami or the Philippines. They were told the company they would be interviewing with needed to ensure applicants were serious. Then the interviews were canceled, and the money was gone.

Although one might conclude from hearing of these recent defraudings the "reimbursement for part of the airfare to the interview spot" con was new on the street, we found evidence that it was used to fleece job seekers in 1992. A six-line ad in California's Modesto Bee announced that Xanadu International needed flight attendants to staff its billion dollar fleet of new Boeing 737s. "Airline flight attendants needed for our corporate aircraft," said the 15 June 1992 ad for the non-existent company. Those who called the Sacramento phone number listed in the ad were interviewed briefly over the phone, then directed to a number in Chicago to speak with someone higher up in the company. Another brief phone interview was held, then applicants were asked to come to the windy city for a final in-person interview. Then came the hook: "Just to be on the safe side," prospective hires were told, "we'll require you to pay one-third of the round-trip airfare ($181), with that money to be refunded to you when you get here." This payment was to be sent via Western Union. When it was, it was never seen again.

While this con is known to have been applied to job postings for security personnel, flight attendants, and models, there is no reason to suppose only those offers of employment need to be viewed with a jaundiced eye. Stay alert to the possibility of this swindle being used in connection with other job ads. Don't let your desire for the career of your dreams cause you to not recognize the same old wolf just because he's dressed in a new sheepskin.

Barbara "woolly bully" Mikkelson

How to Avoid Falling Victim to 'Front a Portion of Your Airfare' Scams:

    * Do not be lulled into a false sense of security by official-sounding corporate names. Some scam artists operate under business names that can be confused with those of long-standing, reputable firms. Others choose impressive-sounding evocative names that roll satisfyingly off the tongue. In both instances, they count on their pigeons being mollified by the sound of the name rather than inspired to research the company on their own.

    * Never pay a company to hire you, not even if such payment is presented as a "proof of candidate's seriousness" gambit. Shun all dealings that involve your sending money to the people who are supposedly interested in offering you a job. Disbelieve even the most earnest of claims that you will be reimbursed later in the hiring process.

    * Do not wire money to strangers, neither when you are buying something privately nor when arranging for an au pair or housekeeper to come work for you. Use entities such as Western Union only when you know the person who will be receiving your money very, very well. Remember, that while a charge made against a credit card can be disputed and a check can have a stop-payment order issued against it, once cash is out the door, it is gone forever. Since wiring money is sending cash, treat it that way.

    * If you have questions about the legitimacy of a job listing, contact your Better Business Bureau, your state or local consumer agency, or the Federal Trade Commission.


Last updated:   5 November 2005

The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/fraud/employment/airfare.asp

Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2007

    Sources Sources:

    Bahari, Sarah.   "Applicants Lose Money in Flight-Attendant Job Scam."
        Fort Worth Star-Telegram.   20 August 2005.

    Lewis, Michael.   "Turlock Woman Spots Scam Trading on Travel."
        Modesto Bee.   22 June 1992   (p. B1).

cheryllynnh wrote:
Yes I did read it and you don't sound harsh.  I am just wondering why they send the check.  It appears real.  I worked in a bank before and it has all the correct features for a check.  They haven't asked me to do anything - yet anyway.  Just seems absurd that they would send a check with no instructions.

if it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck and walks like a duck

I can't make you believe that it is a scam, if you want to buy into it no one can stop you. Again a simple google search brought up hundreds of sites, including craigslist and the us postal service, about this type of fraud.

http://www.hotscams.com/blogs/4/Learnin … d-way.html

We don't expect everybody to be born equal.

    * Some people learn and never make mistakes.
    * Some people prefers to give it a try and learn the hard way.
    * Some people never learn.

The reason why scams never die is because all three categories of people coexist. So if you are asking to try out the offers from those interesting letters you received, you have been warned and proceed at your own risk.



http://blogs.msdn.com/leadingtrump/arch … 63118.aspx
The scam works this way in the rental market:

a) Person from international country mails you abt interest and gets your interest in various ways.

b) They want to pay the deposit (Which is what you want too) immediately and "book the place"

c) They send you twice the required amount from a US "agent"

d) They request you to mail the extra sent back to them as cash or some form of payment which is legit (Note that the letter that they send has no signature or letterhead - very fishy!!!)

e) Once you do that - your cashing of the checks/money orders will be deemed counterfeit after a few wks or a month and you have just paid off for nothing!

cheryllynnh wrote:
Okay so I did get a one of the messages for a job and they sent me a check for over 1800 dollars.  It appears to be a real check.  Forgive me for seeming stupid but how can they take the money out of your account without permission.  If you deposit it wouldn't the bank object that you deposit it in.

What happens is you deposit that check, it seems to clear and you spend the money or send some of it back. In reality, it can take 15 business days for your bank to determine that it's a fake - at this point your bank will hold you responsible for that check. You will have to pay your own bank back for the full amount. It's not their liability, it's yours.

samhudson wrote:
Im pretty sure this is a scam! Anyone else had this email.I am so sick of scammers i have had five in one week!!!!



Hello,


I am lorren smiths Modeling Manager. "Hi,i'm lorren,representing a modelling
company,Ghost Inc.London.Your picture could be used
for bill board advertisement and a magazine front
page advert.You dont need to pay a dim,all we need are good pictures of you and you will get paid , no commision , no overhead costs.You just get paid for pictures now.
Mail your pictures to [email protected] and
if u want to talk to the manager [email protected] you can call the admin department for your payment on
+447024063617 or send email to the address
given.Please note that for the first set of pictures
you'll get $300 only.
lorren smiths,
Financier,
Ghost Inc Lon

Don't fall for it, Love.