PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION SCAMS

Some scams work together in associations and groups in order to refer models between them. The association can make them seem more credible than they actually are. It is very important that, in the case that they are working with others in the same professional, that the model verifies the intentions and the references of not only them, but their partners. You are who you work with!
For the remainder of this scam section, we will explore photography association scams, although this works with any so-called professional in the industry.
In the early stages of the photography association scam, the photographers who are ethical will wise up after the scamming photographer uses them or attempts to use them and they will leave. As time passes and more photographers are netted, some so-called "photographers" will stay and assist the scam. Like a cancer, the model photography association scam solidifies, and becomes one big scam with the mentality and professionalism of a mob. This a group form of the model scam enabler. Three types of photographers exist in such a group set up, and none of them are good for the career of the model. COMPOUND SCAMS like this are the most dangerous! Here are the types of photographers in such a networking scam.

The Naive Photographer - The worker bee, the naive photographer really has no clue what they are doing, and are the token pawns of the others. They don't know enough about the modeling industry to realize that they are working with unethical photographers, and such ignorance will only hurt the models who are polluted by them. More often than not, this weak photographers does poor quality work and overstates their experience. Of course, they will recommend the other photographers to the model, which helps the more serious scams with their credibility. The greatest danger with this type of photographer is that they often unknowingly assist the unethical photographers in the group with tricking models, photographers, and other professionals into working with them. In some cases, talented photographers and make up artists may be assisting the photographers, boosting their credibility and making their work look better to the untrained eye. See also MODEL SCAM ENABLERS.

The Sell Out Photographer - This photographer has figured out the other photographers are doing something wrong, but will still choose to work with them so they can get their leftovers. Greed motivates this kind of photographer, and they become unethical and compromise their values in order to make money, as they seldom know how to make it on their own. Obviously, such a corrupt form of cancer is not good for the model. See also MODEL SCAM ENABLERS.

The Con Artist Scammer Photographer - These are normally the leaders of the group, and they are full blown model scams. They manipulate the others into helping them with their scams, and often have the group gang up on threats to their operation. These model photography scams are the final destination for the tricked model, and of the others book the model, the leaders will get a piece of them, too, before it is over.

How does a model deal with a group of scam photographers who work together to gang up on them and scam them out of money and their professional integrity? While Independent Modeling is working on a new ASA tool to help combat unethical photography associations, the solution is simple. If the models is checking out a photographer who works with other photographers in the same studio, they need to check out the reputations and the references of the other photographers, too. If the photographer in question is working with unethical photographer, it is a very bad sign and the models should turn around and leave. Would you work with and assist unprofessional, unethical people? We didn't think so. You are who you associate with, and any organization is truly only as ethical as their least ethical member. Never forget this. For more on this, please see MODEL SCAM ENABLERS, which talks about associations which serve to boost the credibility of the model scam.

If a model has worked with every photographer who work out of the same studio with them, this is a warning sign and ALL of the photographers need to be checked out. A professional photographer would not normally share a client with every photographer that they work with . If one photographer has a bad reputation and is unethical, then the others are probably bad news, too. They might as well be the same photographer! Professional photographers who collaborate and associate with each other have limits and bounderies in place, the photographers keep their client lists confidential, and clients rarely work betwen all of them.

A chain or group is only as ethical as their weakest member, and if they share clients and business resources, they all condone and support what the others do. They know what the others do, too. Even if they deny it, you must look at their actions to discover the truth. They all must be accountable for the crimes of those who they support and help.

Scams listed here are not limited to models, and different types can be easily combined for new types of scams. If you cannot CLARIFY their intentions and VERIFY their references, go somewhere else to do business. It's professionally responsible to do so and lowers your risk. There are lots of great companies out there, like our advertisers and the companies in our resource sections, who are not scams. You owe it to your career to shop around and be selective.

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Links to relevant content on this site regarding this model scam are pending.

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UPDATED 05/11/06

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