Fraudsters have been using social media websites to dupe young people into believing they are model agents from the agency Storm.
The model agency Storm warns that fraudsters are posing as agents in chat rooms, instant messenger programmes (such as MSN Messenger) and on social networking sites.
There have been cases where these scammers have set up fake profiles on Facebook posing as scouts to try and recruit potential victims. On the false promise of a modelling career, girls as young as 15 are spending up to £500 on portfolios of pictures that are useless.
Their website stated that unless as part of an officially advertised competition, Storm does not use any social networking sites to scout for potential models. If anyone claims to be from Storm but does not give you an email address in the form of: prefix@stormmodels.com then they are not from Storm.
The agencies prevention advice
• Do not engage in conversation with agents on social networking sites as they are not from Storm.
• Never agree to meet anyone unless it is at Storm’s London office.
• Storm does not work with any third parties (whether they are photographers or agents), who may claim to work on thier behalf to create portfolios for your benefit, as an introduction to Storm.
• Do not pay for any pictures. Do not believe anyone who tells you that you need a professional portfolio to be considered by an agency.
For further information visit the Storm website.
Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.
To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
Related links
“Phantom debt” fraud
The Football Association warns of “trial scam”
Bogus callers claiming to be from Action Fraud
