Not everything on the internet is a scam and even if something appears a bit fishy, it doesn’t always have to mean it is a scam. However, it is always better to be safe rather than sorry.
I think this can be said for anyone, but I feel like models are specifically target for scammy job offers. I’ve received emails that just didn’t seem right on many occasions. Perhaps it was a job opportunity for $1,000. If the person on the other end has ulterior motives, the potential of the job offer isn’t worth your safety and identity. Often times, these people are very convincing. Other times, not so much.
10 Telltale Signs of a Scam
- It seems fishy: If your alarm is going off, it’s probably a scam.
- The email address isn’t right or the email address doesn’t match up with whatever name scammer calls themselves. If things don’t line up, there’s a big clue
- The name they do give you is extremely common: This makes it harder to Google scammer to see who they are
- Foreign names often times come along with scams: Scammer may be contacting you from out-of-country
- Grammar is poor: again, scammer may be contacting you from out-of-country. Sometimes, however, people just have poor grammar
- There is no affiliation or company provided: If scammer doesn’t back up what they’re saying with actual companies, links, work examples, etc, your alarm should be going off. Just because they have a phone number and you talk to them on the phone doesn’t mean they aren’t going to scam you
- They are asking you to travel long distances
- Money is asked for upfront: This is a big one. People can ask you for your money for a compelling reason (travel, etc) and then disappear off the charts. This includes any sort of money transaction, too
- Very little information is provided on the project
- Avoids your questions
3 Things you should NEVER Do
- Never pay any upfront fees
- Never give out any identifying information (address, S.S.N., phone number, family info, or sometimes even Facebook)
- Never meet someone you don’t know in a private place, especially alone
Be safe & good luck out there!
Be Fierce!!
Briauna Mariah (: