Even in Cleveland you can’t think about doing anything without wondering if there isn’t some scammer behind that offer that looks too good to be true; it's the same even with the entertainment industry. Some scammers are not just happy with working payday loan scams and romance scams, they have to butt into the entertainment business as well and make new actors and models have to be more cautious as they start down their career path in Cleveland.
The best guard you can have against these scammers is to educate yourself on what to look for when you are talking to agents and managers in the business. These scammers will try just about anything to make a quick profit in Cleveland.
The flavor of con artists in the Cleveland area is unique as they love to victimize the actors and models that are just getting started and don’t have the proper education to know any better; sometimes they will even try their shot with a veteran performer too. They tend to be pretty good at what they do which is why this can compromise your safety even more; they hone their skills just like you do, so it would be better to try and get the jump on them first. They really like to attack those that are just graduating out of acting or modeling school in Cleveland. They target graduates because of their lack of experience in the field. You will have a lot easier time in Cleveland if you understand how to spot these con artists before they take you for your worth in Cleveland.
A common scam you will see in Cleveland, is that they have coined a manager scam in the industry. These scammers lurk around claiming to be a legit manager in the film industry in Cleveland. These managers will make the request that you pay them a “submission fee” to submit your headshots and resume to get auditions in the area. They actually have the actor convinced that they need to fund the submission for acting roles and that they need to cover the cost themselves to find work. The “manager” con artist is not out to get you started in your career only to gain your money. You should know that an honest manager will never ask you to pay them anything unless it is a cut from the jobs they get you with is usually only 10 to 20 percent that they can earn from you as they are promoting you.
This next scam may be somewhat similar to the manager scam; this is involving a “legit” talent agent here in Cleveland. Yes, there are some similarities here; however they will say they are a talent agent that is working with a big agency; maybe even using the name of a legitimate agency but I guarantee if you call that agency in Cleveland, that agent will not even exist or the agent that they stole their name from will be pretty confused. They typically will walk up to you on the street most times and claim you have the look and give you empty promises of fame and fortune. They may claim that they helped a super famous actor or model get to where they are today; for example Rupert Grint. These agents will only bring broken promises and failed dreams in Cleveland. If the promises seem too good to be true, more than likely they are.
The talent agent will hand out their contact information or business card to their potential victim after they have painted the perfect career opportunity and when the actor or actress reaches out to this agent to get more information in Cleveland; they find that suddenly there is a fee to be had for their services or random fees associated with that agent. Of course these fees were never mentioned before and if they were a real agent; they would get paid when you get work. If this seems like something that is raising red flags to you; listen to your gut and walk the other way. Once you pay for these services or anything; the “agent” will likely disappear with your money and you will still have no auditions to go to in Cleveland.
Don’t for one second think that just because the agency is online that it makes them safe in Cleveland. It is so easy for these con artists to set up a fake acting and modeling website, it is pure insanity. With that being said; it doesn’t help that we are more online that off anymore, so tread with caution. Between fake websites and fake social media accounts it is easy to get roped in before you even know what is happening. In fact many scammers have taken their fraudulent activities online. There are platforms out there that charge performers to post their headshots and in the end the actor is just out of cash and no job in hand. To help protect yourself from online fraud; you should only visit well-known and legitimate websites and stay away from any service that is requiring you to pay a fee up front before working with you.
To a scammer there is nothing that is honestly sacred, they have even started drawing up fake contracts that are falsified and heaped with loopholes that can literally give them every bit of your livelihood. Contract fraud is becoming increasingly popular amongst the scammers in Cleveland. Even seasoned actors and models can fall victim to this type of fraud. You should always read everything when you are signing official documents and should also seek legal counsel before signing anything. After all that fine print will get you if you are not careful. You can never be too certain even if you think you are working with a legitimate talent agent or manager. You would not believe how easy it is to get trapped by the fine print in a contract that is produced by a scammer; you may just end up signing your rights away to a scammer. So for your peace of mind, even if it costs a bit to do so you should have some legal counsel to go over your contract before you sign any contract in Cleveland.
A professional that is honest and legitimate will not be offended if you are asking questions about them and their agency in Cleveland, there will be no red flags and complete transparency. And they will not be offended either if you ask for a couple of days to look over the legal document or have someone that is in legal work to look over your contract before you sign with them in Cleveland. If they are offended, that is your cue to leave the document on their desk and look for more legitimate opportunities. A good agent or manager will be completely flexible and will already have an awareness of the scams and cons that are occurring in the Cleveland area. If they keep on insisting, take your leave and don’t sign away your life.
You will be able to see through the smoke and mirrors as you go through the journey and steps it takes to make your acting career in Cleveland something you can be proud of and a successful one. If something seems too good to be true, that should be your first red flag. Trust your own gut as well, if you feel like something is not as it should be you are probably right. You should always exercise caution even if you are a seasoned actor or actress and you should be able to be confident in who you are working with and happy with the contract that you have entered into with them. It is always good to be aware of who you are working with and don’t let fake promises of fame and fortune make you into some scammer’s next sucker of the week in Cleveland.
