Modeling Scams

Ads for teenage models: are they a golden opportunity or a scam?

I'm Shirley Rooker for the Federal Trade Commission.

Zillions magazine asked two of its young readers to order several books that promised to reveal the secrets of being a successful model. Five months and one hundred dollars later, they still haven’t received any of the books.

As for the modeling school that promised to make your teenager famous, the best advice seems to be "save your money." Professional scouts who recruit models claim that modeling schools make money by telling girls what they want to hear, but don’t help them land a job or launch a career.

Professional modeling agencies told Zillions that if a legitimate agency thinks a person can get modeling jobs, they sign the individual to a contract and try to get them work. The agency’s profits come from a cut of the money made from modeling assignments, and not from up-front fees.

I'm Shirley Rooker, director of WTOP radio's Call For Action for the Federal Trade Commission.

January 2002