Modelling photoshoot invitation for teenage dd - scam?

[catcutie]

Hi mumsnetters,
I'm new at this, I need your thoughts on this please.

My late teen dd just got an email from a so called modelling agency in London telling her they are a big agency with well known clients & potential modelling jobs with highstreet shops, inviting her to come for a photoshoot. Unknown to me, dd had e-mailed them a photo of her last week when an acquaintance from college told her she should try. Coming home from college rather excited that she's been shortlisted for a photo shoot, dd showed me the e-mail that informed her she'd need to attend this photo shoot to see if she is suitable and what type of modelling she'd be suited for. All look quite legit, till down on the 5th paragraph or so on this long e-mail it said we needed to pay £50 to cover costs for hairdressers and make-up artists etc. and it's £100 if parents are not accompanying. Then what makes it feel even more like a big scam is a guy calls my dd on the phone saying he is from the agency and he needs to confirm asap if she is coming, even wanting to call back later today when I told him we'll need to think about it and let him know tomorrow.

So I'm quite sure this is a scam. This "modelling agency" might be made up to look legit with legit sounding email addresses and studio address with lengthy e-mails. The address is in London but we're 2.5 hours away from London so they know there'd be no way we could just pop around to check if they're actually based there physically. I think this is an elaborate scam targeted at a lot of people just to take money off innocent teenagers and their parents. I'm pretty peeved they've now made dd feel that, well... she wasn't worthy of a model anyway, after I had to tell her it's likely a scam, and not only that but not that safe to go either.

Would someone especially people who are in the industry, be able to tell me that this is indeed not the normal procedure a modelling agency would take to get prospective models wannabes to attend photo shoots? Any feedback would be much appreciated to put matter this to rest at the back of my head and also dd's mind so there wouldn't be any doubts or what ifs.

Thanks in advance to the mumsnetters!

Hi Again,
I didn't know which topic I should post this in, so I posted it here under work/employment matters. Please, if someone from the modelling/fashion industry can read my original post above and comment, I'd really appreciate that. Thanks.

To a streetview search on the adress given, see if its a studio or not.

It doesn't sound legit... I think you'd get more answers if you put this in chat?

I think I read somewhere about you shouldn't have to pay anything to legit agencies. So if they're asking, prob not legit.

I've seen a few threads over the years about model agencies, and a number of knowledgeable posters give good advice. Agree with the others, post again in chat, or see if this can be moved there, and hopefully someone will be able to give some help.

Your poor daughter though :( not nice to mix teenager and children up in scams (or anyone, really!).

It’s a scam. A legit agency wouldn’t ask for money in this way. You mention that she emailed them her photo so where did she find out about them/where did she find their details in the first place??

@littlelights & @MsMarvel . will do those in a mo .
@BigApple11 how do you do that?
Thanks all.

What's the name of the agency? Is it fashion modelling?

@MammaH2018 . From her college friend who is also a girl apparently she'd apply as well, but sounds like she was trying to rope in people to me, maybe unawares though

@pinkyredrose, I'll get back on here at 4pm. sorry schoolrun

If an agency is genuine and want a potential model to do test photos they would do it for free and they'd be happy to answer questions and reassure you.

To me it screams Scam. Sounds like her friend has not only fallen for it but is inadvertently getting more girls involved by recruiting them too.

A legit modelling agency wouldn't ask you for any money I don't think.

www.liveabout.com/five-things-a-legitimate-modeling-agency-will-never-ask-of-you-3196229

This should be helpful! It was done in January this year and say you shouldn't have to pay.

Model agencies never ask for payment as PP have pointed out. Scam from top to bottom, I'm afraid! Ripping off teenagers and building up their hopes and dreams is pretty shitty. Don't feel guilty about telling them to get lost!

Scam Scam Scam.

Genuine modelling agencies don't have to go out searching for people, they are overrun with applications. Occasionally they might scout someone, but you don't have to pay fees for photo sessions or to be placed on their books.

Hello everyone!
Thanks for all your feedback. you are all correct. It's not a modelling agency. they try to sound like they are one, dropping names of high street clothes shops, model personalities and saying they've worked with agencies top models use (which might not actually be technically untrue, very clever indeed) but they come across sounding like a model agency who could hook up wannabe models with fashion modelling jobs. They are a legit photo studio apparently also give training to prospective models and give advice on portfolio, but they are not an agency. I think loads of teenagers (and maybe some grown ups too) will think they are an agency which could actually find work for them. So it seems you go there, they take a few nice shots of you and then sell the photos back to you, with the £50 deposit already in hand. So it seems like a just photo studio shoot that you would be paying for with no prospect of them getting you work as a model.

By the way, I got all that info in my last message from googling the internet! Thanks everyone for the feedback and help! Much appreciated.

A legitimate model agency would never, ever, ever ask for money for a portfolio. Ever.

A genuine agency won’t make you pay. This is just a money-making scam. Yes, they will take photos for her ‘book’ but unless she is tall and skinny with plump lips she won’t get work.

That isn't strictly true. DS1 has done a lot of photographic modelling and acting and had to pay for his initial portfolio pictures (but his agency have always updated them for nothing ever since).

Having said that, everything about this sounds like a scam to me.

@kinorsam . yes they've also used that lingo "you need to pay to be placed in our books" or to that effect (I guess to make them sound like a modelling agency without actually saying point blank that they are). and that's what I thought too that agencies surely wouldn't go out of their way looking to call someone. there're probably thousands queuing up to be one and they'd be inundated with applications.
@strawberrysparkle thanks for that link!
@shegotbett & @ohmygodth thanks for our feedback
@feelingfree . it seems like a lot of teenage girls are falling for this. A bit worrying. I guess dd will have to break the news to her college friend too. I wonder if dd's friend gets anything from it though as they are not close friends at all, seems a bit out of the blue.

Don't one of the children's agencies who are well known and legit ask for money though. The one who were on the documentary about child models? I'm sure a friend of mine used to pay costs. Not sure if it was related to the website though.

Give us the name and people will be able to tell you I bet. It does sound dodgy though.

I read that real agencies will never charge for a trial

A model agency can tell from a holiday snap if someone is worth seeing, they will ask them to come into their office so they can see them, then send them to their own photographer. At no point will this cost you any money.

Child modelling may be different, but a late teen girl is not a child model.