Common Acting Scams and How to Avoid them

With the excitement and joy of receiving your first offer or callback for a role, you can often overlook warning signs that tell you that the job may not seem as legit as it tries to make you think. There are many scam sites, casting calls, and fake agents trying to prey on starting actors who are desperately looking for their first opportunity. However, it is important to stay safe online and know when to back out if things are looking fishy.

What are some common acting scam methods?

There are many different ways that scammers can attempt to steal your personal information or take money from you but not deliver their promised product. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, many of these methods may be re-used by other and newer tactics. Here are some common acting scams that you should avoid:

• Upfront pay

Pay-to-play auditions are a common example of this: often, scammers will ask for payment for “VIP” opportunities or “exclusive auditions” or casting calls. This is almost certainly a scam, as legitimate casting directors will always keep auditions free as they favour finding exceptional talent for their project over financial benefit from the casting process itself. In addition, it is free for agencies to submit talent and to send auditions on reputable acting websites such as Spotlight, Backstage, Starnow and Mandy. While some of these platforms, like Spotlight, do charge membership fees, this is not a scam, these fees are simply to give actors access to verified, professional opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be publicly available.

Managers and casting agents taking upfront pay is also something to avoid, as casting agents earn a commission on jobs that you land, and therefore it is safe to avoid anyone asking for a payment before any work is carried out, more on this later.

• Guaranteed promises

No matter what connections someone may have in the industry, they can never promise callbacks and acting opportunities for everyone attending their class. Acting classes are great for networking and working on your skills, but they can not guarantee work opportunities. The industry-standard casting process is very structured and involves many rounds of casting directors and agents searching for the perfect talent, and sending out callbacks and auditions. With hundreds of actors being suggested for each role, it is impossible for a class leader to promise work in the industry even after completing their paid service.

• Fake casting director emails

You may be sending out applications and auditions day and night and not hearing anything back. Suddenly, you receive an email or DM from a supposed casting director who found you online and thinks your skills perfectly match who they are looking for. These scams will try their best to make you feel special and prey on your dreams of wanting to make it big, and might consistently email you back even if you ignore them. Often, they will request your personal information, or possibly even a payment for attending an audition or showcase - this is to be avoided! Real casting directors will only reach out in a professional manner and will not ask you for bank details or upfront payments.

• Extra payment packages

You’ve landed a contract or casting opportunity, but now you have to pay extra fees for travel expenses, extra classes or showcase events. Whereas this may not always be a scam, it is good to be careful and research the packages and what they offer, as well as their legitimacy through online reviews. Also, it may be worth considering how much you will get for the price you are paying and if the offer will be of substantial help for the development of your career! There are many legitimate classes and services that provide the experiences that they promise but for very high prices - it may be useful to see what people are saying online, as often more affordable services may be getting recommended.

Compulsory headshot and reel services are also red flags to look out for. A “professional” on their team might be in charge of checking over everyone’s headshots and making it compulsory for you to have new headshots taken using their own photographer, often for a high price. No legitimate service will force you to have your headshots taken by one specific service, as there are many professional Spotlight-approved photographers who can take your headshots. However, many legitimate acting classes and agencies will have ties to photographers and editors, or possibly even have them in-house, but will not enforce compulsory use of their services. For example, at IPM, we can offer reliable headshots, self-tape and showreel services at an affordable price if you require help with them!

How do you spot a fake agency or acting class?

If you are thinking of applying for a job, paying for an acting class, or attending auditions for a casting call that you think sounds a bit fishy, it is a good idea to do some research around the names involved in the project on reputable sites such as IMDb. Search the casting director’s name and read online feedback to see if other people are saying anything about the service you are looking to join, or pay for.

Legitimate acting agencies and classes will have active social media presence, transparency about the services it provides and for what pricing, and reliable contact details including a phone number and business email. Check what they have been up to on their Instagrams, YouTubes, Twitter/X, and Facebook. See if people have been commenting on their posts, and if they are viewed as a good and reliable service. There should be more focus on what the opportunity can provide for you in terms of growth and development, rather than how the service can make money from you signing up!

Often, it may be the case that the scammer is also paying for positive reviews online to push out negative reviews left by real users. How can you know that what you’re reading is the truth? You can trust your own judgement by looking at the dates the reviews were posted, the usernames, and the type of language used, or search for community discussions with real users. A lot of the time, searching online if a site is a scam could also result in trusted articles having been written about these websites, such as TVWaterCooler or reputable news sources. As well as this, you can search the official companies house to see if the business is officially registered and what year it was registered - or check the legitimacy of the site domain and email addresses using online tools.

As well as this, look for red flags in the agency’s actions such as spelling and grammar mistakes in emails and messages, not referring to you by your real name, including lots of links in emails, and asking for personal details or even payment. If a payment is required, ask questions - what is the payment for? Who will be taking the payment? Is there a written agreement? Often, a scam service will back out and avoid answering these questions. And when sending payments via PayPal, make sure you select “Goods and Services” so that you can get a refund in the case of a scam.

Do talent agencies ask for money upfront?

The short answer is no. Casting agents and talent agencies make money when you make money, meaning they take on average a 10-20% commission on jobs and opportunities that you receive. Avoid agents that ask for payment before any work is undertaken. You can also verify if a talent agency is recognised in acting unions as a member, or search names on IMDb to check for professional credits.

What are the red flags for casting calls?

You’ve avoided all of the scams we have mentioned above, you have had professional headshots taken and a showreel displaying your skills as an actor, and you’re now ready to search through casting calls and audition for roles - what else can you look out for to keep yourself safe? Whilst many casting calls are posted by industry professionals and casting directors, anyone can post a casting call even on sites such as Backstage. Although these casting calls are screened and approved, it is still good to avoid certain breakdowns that seem fishy - especially if you are looking at casting calls on social media such as Instagram, TikTok or on Facebook groups where absolutely anyone can post anything! Here are some red flags on casting calls to watch out for:

• Upfront payments

Once again, it is best to avoid any casting calls that request any payment from you before any work is being carried out. This includes any fees for auditioning or registering, having to pay for headshots or showreels, or paying a talent manager or agent upfront.

• No mention of the production company or team

A professional production will be transparent and always mention the people involved in the production, including the production company or prominent names such as the director, producer, and the casting director. This allows you to do research about them and check their authenticity on reputable sites. 

• Vague role and project descriptions

You need to know what role you are playing, and trustworthy casting calls will detail the character with information about their personality, age range, and any specific extra information required. The shooting days and location are also important in displaying that the production is well organised and prepared for the shoot, and also to allow the actors to check their availability before applying! Although specific shoot days might yet to be decided, there should be an idea of when shooting will take place and where. If any of this information is missing or very vague, it comes off as lazy and unprofessional, and might end up being a scam.

• No compensation

This includes compensation other than just payment, as there are many reliable low-budget productions that may not have the funds to pay actors. However, anyone posing as an industry professional should have their contract and payment compensation laid out in detail, including the rate you will be paid and any extra fees such as wardrobe days, rehearsal, or transport fees. Transparency is important! On unpaid projects such as student films, if the roles aren’t paid it is at the very least expected for there to be compensation for travel and food - you shouldn’t have to offer up both your time and money for an unpaid project! It is best to avoid casting calls that only mention an “amazing opportunity” or “showreel piece”.

How can you report a scam?

If you have been subject to a scam or think you have come across a scam service, it may be useful to make a report to prevent them from operating in the future. You can do this on the official Action Fraud police website.

If you have made any payments for a scam service, it may be worth to see if you are able to get a refund - this is possible if you paid through PayPal’s “goods and services” option. If you paid through direct debit, you may be able to contact your bank and get a refund via the Direct Debit guarantee, and even if you paid with your credit or debit card it may still be possible to reach out to your bank and request a refund.

But it’s not all gloom and doom…

Whereas it may sometimes feel impossible to find a job or a reliable service with the amount of acting scams circulating online these days, there are numerous amazing classes, casting calls, and agencies operating professionally who provide great services for actors who are just starting out. If you approach opportunities waringly, carry out appropriate research about the names involved, read about the company and what public users are saying about it, and stay safe when sending payments, it is very possible to get signed on the books by a casting agent. Your dream job is waiting for you just around the corner!

Author

Rafal Szuba