eModel.com Fraud Investigation Report

Usenet offers stories to back up the account of the recruiting practices, where women as short as 5'6" and even 5'1" were the target of emodel.com.

The Better Business Bureau of the Southland in California has a file on emodel.com.

EModel.Com recruits individuals to act as model scouts. Scouts are required to pay the company to act as scouts and are told they will receive a commission for anyone that they recruit to place their photo on the company's web site. Those recruited as models are also required to pay the company for the priviledge of having their image on the company's site. We rate this company as having an unsatisfactory business performance record. Complainants allege that the company processed credit card charges after authorization was withdrawn. The company responds to some complaints by issuing refunds. Other complaints are unanswered.

Similar complaints have been filed online at the Rip-off Report, where one person says pictures were taken and money stolen by emodel.com (Jan 18, 2002), and another gives an inside story after being a modeling scout for emodel.com (December 12, 2001).

Other internet boards offer testimonies of people who were targeted but did not join their program.

On October 10, 2001, Crystal posted the following message:

I was scouted by Emodel a few days ago and I was very flattered because they told me I have "the look" and they have all these popular and well known agencies that are interested in me.

 

I got really skeptical when I attended their "open call," it was more of a sales pitch, and I feel embarrassed for having attended it.

 

After being "evaluated," they told me I was one of the models they want to represent and all I needed was to pay the enrollment fee of $495 and the "maintenance" fee of $20 a month.

 

I was more concerned of how professional my picture and image would be if I'm in their network, and they told me that all I needed was a snapshot of me to put on their network.

 

I was so excited and I told all my close friends and family about it.

 

We did some research and found out a lot of disturbing facts about Emodel and how they operate.

 

I did not go to the second appointment, thank God.

 

I hope none of you would have to go through the same experience, it was humiliating as I felt like I was very gullible.

 

Although my friends and family are very supportive and I know that I'm better off without Emodel.

 

To everyone out there who have taken the time to let us know the truth about Emodel, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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