But even while I have partnered with many brands, and witnessed the long contract negotiations, sent invoices, w-9’s, etc. I consider myself an intelligent person, though I am a bit naive (I guess) to the influencer world in some respects. (Director Scott only stopped sending me texts when I threatened to call the police (he didn’t care when I told him I would alert my bank and my lawyer–but the mention of the popo shut him up real quick!)). This “Director Scott” would have made off with $1,000 just by sending an email, a fake check, and a few text messages! They then ask for you to send them some of the money back (which is ludicrous), and you end up giving some random stranger you don’t know from a can of paint your money. And while the “David LaChappelle x Puma’ scam didn’t turn up any results, I did find an article about an email scammer using Jill Greenburg’s name, with almost the same email–verbatim.īasically the scammer offers you a fake opportunity and sends you a fake check for more than the agreed upon amount. I quickly went online to find any instances of this happening. But can you believe I actually attempted to Cashapp this person? It’s only when the Cashapp declined the transaction (not sure why–maybe it was GOD), that I realized that something was definitely fishy. When he asked me to cash app some random person $1,000, my spidey senses started tingling. We all know that checks can sometimes take days to clear and the start of a normal banking day is 9am. The nail in the coffin for me was when this ‘405’ number contacted me at 8am the morning after the check was deposited to see if it posted. It’s not unusual to be chasing checks for work you’ve completed vs. Anyone who works with brands knows that sometimes reaching agreements can take WEEKS, and getting paid can take months. But once the check hit my mailbox, things got weird.įirst, the check that was sent was for substantially more than the deposit promised–which would be great, right? The 405 number urged me to deposit the check immediately, and asked for minute-to-minute updates on when it would be in the bank. Who wouldn’t get excited that money was on the way? In my mind, I already started shopping. When they asked for my info, I gave it to them, and within a few days, a number with a 405 area code began texting me, telling me money was on the way and that I should be on the lookout for it. Another red flag: the email came from a Gmail account and not an official company email: details evaded my manager and I…temporarily. The pay was pretty good ($5,000) and the terms seemed great: a deposit sent to your doorstep, no agreement, invoice, or W-9 required, which should have been my first red flag. So I was excited to receive an email from a ‘ Director Scott,’ claiming to be a representative for celebrated photographer David LaChapelle, who wanted me to model in an upcoming Puma campaign in New York City. So as I grow and hit my stride as an aspiring IG model (ha!), I do get requests occasionally to partner with brands for shoots.
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