Scam Watch: Beware Of Erick Kent & The Pembroke Recruitment Agency

Scams can cost aspiring models a fortune! Whether it’s a modeling school that requires you to take pricey modeling classes or illegitimate agency that sends you a fake check to cash, modeling scams in all forms can cost you both your hard earned money as well as your dignity.

One of the latest scams that has come to our attention involves phone numbers that can drive your phone bill through the roof. If you get any emails with the phone prefix +4470 – do not call the number. Phone calls to these numbers will transfer you to an unpublished phone number and can cost you up to £2 per minute, which is almost four American dollars.

A scammer using the name Erick Kent has been identified as one of the individuals using these high-priced phone numbers to lure unsuspecting models. See below for an example of the messages he’s been sending:

"Dear **********

Thank you very much for your quick reply.

Pembroke Recruitment Agency is a free lance model recruiting agency.

You were contracted for a part time or full time position depending on your options. Your photo was considered attractive enough so we decided to contact you. At the moment we are under obligation from DR modeling firm and we would like to hire you on their behalf.

At the moment your area of content will be trade shows, Print, runway music videos. Location will be London, England.

It will be necessary you send resumes , photos and any documentation that will properly describe you and explain better what you do.

Thanks,

Erick Kent

Pembroke Recruitment Agency

14d Blvd Westminster London UK.

+447031899189"

If you receive an email from Erick Kent or the Pembroke Recruitment Agency, do not respond. If you receive suspicious correspondence from any other individuals and you’re not sure what to do, post the email to the community forum for feedback and advice from the Elite Casting Network staff and other members.

For more information on Internet scams targeting aspiring models, actors, dancers and singers, visit http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.com and log in daily to read our Scam Watch.

Scam Watch: Avoiding Nigerian Scams

Recently, we discovered a scammer claiming to be from the United Kingdom, but according to his IP address, he was actually located in Nigeria.

This was the message he sent:

My name is Phillips Dave, you're one of the few people chosen out of the screening exercise performed by our moderator. You have got the physical features we need for our catalog update, I have a pay job for you. Email me at ModelingAgent@futuresfab.com if you are interested. Hope to hear from you soon.

Nigerian scams first became prevalent in 2001, and have since taken many different forms and victimized thousands of people. Experts offer the following tips to avoid becoming the victim of a Nigerian scammer:

• If you’ve received a suspicious email, use Google or another popular search engine to search terms used in the email that you’ve received. If it’s a scam, often you will come across complaints from other internet users who have received the same email and posted the information online.

• Don’t rely on email communication. Advise the sender that you would like to further discuss the opportunity via telephone. Scammers are very reluctant to engage in phone conversations, therefore if the person you’re corresponding with is hesitant to communicate over the phone, that’s an immediate red flag.

• If the sender makes mention of a bank in their correspondence, use the FDIC’s Institution Directory found on their website to verify that it’s a legitimate establishment.

• If you are required to make a payment for a service or product on the web, use a credit card because they offer more protection.

For more information on entertainment industry related scams, or tips on avoiding them, log in each day at http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.com and check out our Scam Alert.

Nigerian Scams Reach Epidemic Proportions!

Online schemes operating out of Nigeria that have defrauded victims out of tens of millions of dollars have become so pervasive that the U.S. government has given the West African country until November to take steps to decrease such crimes or face sanctions.

Financial fraud is now reportedly one of the three largest industries in Nigeria, where the anonymity of the Internet is being used to give crime syndicates a windfall.

In 1980 the US Secret Service took a proactive approach to combating Nigerian organized crime by establishing and maintaining task forces throughout the United States whose main focus was the investigation of financial fraud committed by Nigerian nationals and their accomplices.

Membership in these task forces included representatives from the United States Customs Service, Nigerian Crime Initiative (NCI), the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Nigerian Organized Crime Task Force (INOCTF), the United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Nigerian National Police (NNP), the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, bank investigators from the private sector, as well as numerous state and local law enforcement agencies and other Nigerian federal law enforcement agencies. This diverse membership is indicative of the multitude of crimes being perpetrated by Nigerian criminals.

There are so many scams coming out of Nigeria that in June 2000 the US Secret Service established a permanent office in Lagos!

Here are some links and quotes that go into greater detail:

1. FBI - http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/orgcrime/africancrim.htm
Nigerian criminal enterprises are the most significant of these groups and operate in more than 80 other countries of the world. They are among the most aggressive and expansionist international criminal groups and are primarily engaged in drug trafficking and financial frauds.

Nigerian groups are famous globally for their financial frauds, which cost the U.S. alone an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion each year. Schemes are diverse, targeting individuals, businesses, and government offices."

2. Nigeria - The 419 Coalition Website - http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/
"A Five Billion US$ (as of 1996, much more now) worldwide Scam which has run since the early 1980's under Successive Governments of Nigeria. It is also referred to as "Advance Fee Fraud", "419 Fraud" (Four-One-Nine) after a formerly relevant section of the Criminal Code of Nigeria..."

3. Interpol - http://www.interpol.int/Public/FinancialCr...erianLetter.asp
"For more than 16 years, private individuals, as well as organizations and commercial companies, have been receiving unexpected communication through letters and faxes but mainly through e-mails from senders claiming to be Nigerian or African citizens and promising high profitable business. According to the relevant section of the Criminal Code of Nigeria it is referred to as 4-1-9 Fraud."

4. Crimes of Persuasion - http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Nigeri...erian_busts.htm
"One investigation resulted in the seizure of 11,460 Nigerian advanced fee fraud letters mailed via the Hong Kong Post Office, which represented 95% of the incoming mail from Nigeria. The addresses had been sourced from local and international telephone directories and various business publications.

In May of 1996, pursuant to PDD-42, a federal law enforcement interagency working group was created to develop a domestic law enforcement strategy regarding Nigerian organized crime. The proposed enforcement effort of the strategy became known as the Nigerian Crime Initiative (NCI).

DEC 1997 - Douglas Arthur Cole a.k.a. Peter McGrath a.k.a. William H. Miles whose ring may have been responsible for up to $20 million in fraud worldwide was convicted of 22 counts of 419 related charges in the US District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In 1998, then-Attorney General Reno approved the recommendation of the working group to establish the Interagency Nigerian Organized Crime Task Force (INOCTF).

On January 12, 1999, the Secret Service began a cooperative effort with the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, and the Nigerian National Police (NNP). The purpose of this effort was to provide operational, investigative and training assistance to the NNP and other Nigerian federal law enforcement agencies.

SEP 2000 - The United States Secret Service is said to have carried out 150 investigations into financial crimes in Nigeria leading to no fewer than 220 arrests since January, last year.

On January 5th, 2001 the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. M. R. Rasheed was charged in a US Federal District Court with lying under oath and providing false testimony regarding his direct involvement in setting up secret offshore accounts and trusts."

5. Nigeria Police Internet Resource Unit - http://www.nigeriapolice.org/419.htm
"Advanced Fee Fraud is a criminal offence defined and punishable under section 419 of the Nigeria criminal code."

6. Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria - http://www.nigeriaembassyusa.org/fraud.shtml
"The publicity campaigns by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have proved successful in sensitizing the public about the menace of advance fee fraud and the falsehood of claims that easy money could be made in Nigeria."

7. US Postal Inspector - http://www.usps.com/websites/depart/inspect/pressrel.htm
"Inspectors announced they have seized and destroyed over two million Nigerian advance-fee fraud letters at the JFK Airport Mail Center since March 30, 1998. The letters, often referred to as "419" letters after the Nigerian statute that makes them illegal, were found to have counterfeit Nigerian postage, and they promoted fraudulent business proposals.

Lee Heath, Postal Inspector in Charge of the New York Division, warns that American consumers are being scammed to the tune of $100 million annually by international con artists, who send the letters primarily from Nigeria and other West African countries."

8. Florida Computer Crime Center - http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Fc3/nigerian.html
"There are several variations of the Nigerian Scam that criminals may use to exploit their victims. Here are some examples: Fake lottery winnings, Beneficiary of a Will, Bogus Cashiers Checks, Donation Solicitations, Fake Web Site, Modeling opportunities, American Soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq, fake items sold on auction sites, credit card fraud, bank fraud, check kiting, various types of insurance fraud, entitlement fraud, false identification, passport & visa fraud, marriage fraud to obtain U.S. citizenship, vehicle thefts, the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, and the counterfeiting of corporate checks and other obligations."

9. Attorney General - http://www.ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2001/042701.htm
"Nigerian scam bust uncovers new victims — including one $3 million victim — and money trail to Cayman Islands."

10. Department of Consumer Affairs - http://www.scconsumer.gov/press_releases/m...gerian_scam.htm
"...many businesses are getting some very curious mail from the country of Nigeria. There is an organization of con men from this country operating numerous swindles throughout the United States..."

11. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command - http://www.mccoy.army.mil/vtriad_online/09...am_09-22-06.htm
"...released an advisory warning Soldiers and family members of a so-called Nigerian Fraud Scam or advanced fee fraud, using unsolicited faxes, electronic-mail or letters. The advisory also warns of the criminal implications for Army personnel who actively facilitate the scheme.

The Nigerian Scam starts with someone from Nigeria, or another country, making unsolicited contact with unsuspecting victims requesting their help in disposing of gold or money recovered in Iraq, or oil revenues from Nigeria or Russia, or lottery winnings from some oversees location."

12. State Department - http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumers/alerts/nigerian.htm
"The Nigerian Advance Fee Scam continues to draw in victims even though it's been around for a long time. View the U.S. Secret Services' website for tactics Nigerian scam artists use to lure victims."

13. US Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria - http://www.state.gov/www/regions/africa/naffpub.pdf
"According to the Metropolitan Police Company fraud department in London, some 3000 AFF letters are mailed or faxed worldwide; primarily form Nigeria."

14. Snopes.com - http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/nigeria.asp
"Nigerian fraud costs its victim anywhere from a few thousand dollars up to hundreds of thousands."

15. Fraud.org - http://www.fraud.org/scamsagainstbusinesse...ps/nigerian.htm
"you will be asked to pay a never-ending series of fees or expenses before the funds can be transferred to your account. Unfortunately, the millions never materialize."

16. FTC - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/nigeralrt.shtm
"Nigerian advance-fee fraud has been around for decades, but now seems to have reached epidemic proportions..."

17. The Dallas Morning News - http://metrocolumnistsblog.dallasnews.com/...rian-fraud.html
"Release Feb. 27, 2008 - Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Casey Jr. issues warning to the public of a new tactic on the Nigerian Fraud Letters."

18. MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3078489
"Hundreds of victims have recently fallen..."

19. Fox News - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,232500,00.html
"Victims still falling prey to Nigerian email scams"

20. Internet Crime Complain Center - http://www.ic3.gov/crimeschemes.aspx#item-3
"In most instances, the money is sent to locations in West Africa (Nigeria)."

21. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_fee_fraud
"The 419 scam originated in the early 1980s as the oil-based economy of Nigeria declined. Several unemployed university students first used this scam as a means of manipulating business visitors interested in shady deals in the Nigerian oil sector before targeting businessmen in the west..."

22. Bestfrauds.com - http://www.bestfrauds.com/money-swindle3.html
"Online schemes operating out of Nigeria that have defrauded victims out of tens of millions of dollars have become so pervasive that the U.S. government has given the West African country until November to take steps to decrease such crimes or face sanctions. Financial fraud is now reportedly one of the three largest industries in Nigeria, where the anonymity of the Internet is being used to give crime syndicates a windfall."

23. This is a link to the US Department of Justice site showing another 36 links discussing Nigerian scams.

24. Here is a link to the US Secret Service site showing another 91 links to Nigerian scams.

The United States Secret Service (USSS) and the United States Postal Service are primary U.S. law enforcement agencies in dealing with these types of scams. U.S. citizens or residents who have suffered a financial loss and want to report a scam may forward unsolicited e-mails to the USSS at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov. U.S. citizens and residents who have suffered a financial loss are instructed to contact the nearest field office of the Secret Service by telephone.

Scam Alert: The Byron Sanders Advertising Agency

Recently a Star Search Casting member posted an email they received to the community forum because they had concerns that the email was a part of a scam. The email was from the Byron Sanders Advertising Agency, a company that sells advertising, marketing and public relations services and claims to help rising stars get media exposure through major television networks, the Internet and print advertising.

The company is listed as the Byron Sanders Marketing Media Management Agency with the Better Business Bureau. The company is based in Dallas, Texas and is not a BBB accredited company. The company has an unsatisfactory record with the BBB due to failure to respond to a complaint. In the last 36 months, two complaints have been filed against the company - one of which has been closed.

This information doesn’t necessarily mean that the company is involved in a scam. Most companies that have been involved in scams have a far greater number of complaints within that span of time. However, there are several red flags. The first is that due to the nature of the industry that the company is in – advertising, marketing and public relations – it’s somewhat suspicious that there is limited information about the company on the web. If a company claims to be able to promote you, then you’d definitely want to go with a company that is able to promote themselves. For example, Ken Sunshine has worked to promote actors such as Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and Leonardo DiCaprio. A Google search for Ken Sunshine’s name returns over 20,000 records, while a search for the Byron Sanders Advertising Agency returns only six results.

Secondly, the company claims to be the “greatest advertising agency in the world…” however the company is not a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Lastly, in the email that was sent to one of our members, the representative asked them to email them back and state how much money they were willing to invest in promoting themselves. Reputable advertising and public relations agencies are not “name your price” businesses. These companies work for specific fees, on a project-by-project basis, or on a monthly retainer.

For aspiring actors, singers, dancers and models, there will be a time where you will need the assistance of public relations and marketing professionals to help you boost your career. However this point generally comes once you’ve found an agent and have booked one or more significant jobs. Additionally, your agent or manager at that time can pair you with a marketing and public relations agency with a great reputation and a strong track record.

For more information on entertainment-related Internet scams, log in to http://www.StarSearchCasting.com each day and check out our Scam Alert.

Scam Alert: The Name Game

When we’re investigating recent scam activity, we often find that new scams are really just revised emails that are being circulated by the same scammers over and over, simply using a different name. Many parents are discovering that this same tactic is used by agencies offline as well. More and more parents are learning that companies who have been investigated for fraudulent activity are now changing the names of their companies to avoid detection. This tactic now requires parents who are researching reputable opportunities for their child actors, models, dancers and singers to dig even deeper to make sure that the agencies and industry professionals that they work with truly have their children’s best interest at heart.

StudioKidz was an agency in California that recruited children for acting jobs, often in stores such as Wal-Mart and Target. The agency was accused of charging exorbitant fees for classes and training. Later it was discovered that the agency didn’t have a license and therefore was never able to legally book acting jobs for any of their clients. When parents began to report the agency to consumer action agencies, the owners decided to change their name to TVKidz so that parents who looked them up online wouldn’t come across the large number of complaints that had been filed against them.

However, it wasn’t long before parents begin to discover that TVKidz was the same agency as StudioKidz, which prompted the owner to change the name of the company again to CommercialKidz. Additionally, she even changed her own name. A watchdog group who has been following the agency’s activities has now found information that suggests the owner may even have a previous criminal record.

So you see, you can never be too careful when it comes to researching agencies or industry professionals who have expressed an interest in you or your children. It’s unfortunate that there are so many individuals out there that lay in wait to take advantage of those new to the industry. However it’s important that instead of being discouraged, that we simply do our homework each and every time and stay focused on our goals.

Be sure to log in to http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.com each day to review our Scam Alert. We will continue to keep you posted on the latest scam information affecting the entertainment industry, as well as strategies you can use to make sure you don’t become a victim.

Scam Watch: Trusting Your Instincts

Recently we discovered a scammer who claimed to be from an agency called the 29^th Ave W Group. He said that he was recruiting models for an upcoming modeling competition. When we used Google to research the modeling competition and the agency, there were no websites to confirm the legitimacy of the agency or the competition. When we called the phone number he provided, it was an answering service that doubled as a fax, and made no mention of the agency or the competition. Lastly, while the scammer claimed to be from Washington D.C., we later learned that he was actually in Nigeria based on his IP address.

While we often use the Internet or other sources to investigate possible scams, sometimes we’re simply able to detect a scam based on our instincts. Perhaps the wording in the email seems suspicious. Or maybe the tone causes us to question the validity of the offer. But for many of us, our instincts can be our best defense in protecting us from both online and offline scams. That being said, it’s very important that we trust them.

Last year, the Better Business Bureau received 46 complaints from aspiring models and their parents who had been targeted by A New Concept Modeling and Acting Centre. While many of the victims later said that their instincts told them not to sign with the agency, they still allowed themselves to be pressured into the scam. Some of the allegations against the agency included:

• Charging models more than $2000 for headshots they never received
• High-pressure sales tactics
• Asking models to sign contracts and not providing them with copies of what they had signed
• Though the agency promised them work, the models didn’t receive any calls, auditions or jobs after investing thousands of dollars in the scam.

If you come across an email, newspaper ad, or even a talent scout in the mall and you get a “funny feeling” that something’s not right – don’t be so quick to dismiss it. Had many of the aspiring models targeted by A New Concept Modeling and Acting Centre relied on their instincts, they would have saved themselves a lot of money and a lot of heartache.

For more information about the latest scams and how to avoid them, log in to http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.com today and check out our Scam Watch.