The growth of fake modelling scams
Young, aspiring models are being lured into parting with cash by companies which falsely promise to launch their modelling career and the chance to work with top brands. Only for the ‘modelling agency’ to then pocket the money.
Trading Standards has seen a recent increase in complaints of residents that have visited various London Studios with the offer of having cheap/free professional photographs taken. Once there they are persuaded to part with thousands of pounds for portfolios with the offer of “guaranteed work”. These job offers never come and they don’t get copies of their photographs or portfolios.
Trading Standards struggles to investigate these types of complaints because the companies don’t have legal entities, no contracts are signed and the studio space is rented and they quickly move on.
Trading standards advice is to research the companies that you contact as much as possible, ask for references, it is against the law for model agencies to ask for “signing up fees”
Genuine model agencies can be found on the British Fashion Model Agents Association (BFMA) more information about genuine companies and scam agents can be found on their website https://bfma.fashion/
