emodel.com, Options Talent Group

Dear Modeling Scams,

I am writing to tell others about Options Talent.

My sister was stopped in the mall by a woman who claimed to be a talent scout. She said that she did not normally do this sort of thing, but she has the right look.

The scout gave us a card and told her to be there at 7:00 sharp.

When we arrived there were about 50 people in line. They took a digital picture, gave us the sales pitch, and then did an "exit interview" that would determine if we had what it takes.

We both did, and guess what? So did everyone else there that we talked to.

Then we waited for our telephone interview...

My sister had hers first and actually paid her $595. She believed their claim that 80% of their models get work in the first 90 days.

As I waited for my call, I decided to do some research. I looked on their website, and saw that at least 30,000 aspiring models are there.

Most have only the snapshot taken at the open call. I could tell by looking at the people that Options Talent will take anybody with money.

Then I found your website and I saw the whole picture.

Luckily, my sister was able to close her account before the money was taken out.

But when the "talent executive" called me that evening, I informed him that I was not interested in his company because it is a scam.

He got really mad and rude. He told me this website is a scam, because it is not federally funded.

He told me that the Better Business Bureau was a scam, because it was started by Al Capone.

Okeedokee, whatever.

The Federal Trade Commission was wrong according to him, also.

His defense was that Options Talent Group is a publicly traded company.

That only means that their stock is good because they take so many people's money.

He then claimed that MTV was using 10 of their models to be in a motion picture. When I asked how much they paid MTV to do that, he hung up on me.

Thanks for all the information. I hope nobody gets scammed by these people. I intend to contact the media immediately.

Sincerely,

R.

R.,

It would great to have someone send a recording from an interview. You cannot record phone conversations without permission in most or all states, but an undercover audio recording taken from a so-called "open call" for people to download could be very useful. The BBB has already participated in an undercover investigation of emodel.

Your letter is one of the most funny and most disturbing letters about Options Talent Group.

The outrage, the claims, the attitude and the speculation by the "scout" are hilarious. Al Capone started the Better Business Bureau, when he was 13? Wow. Out of curiosity I looked it up. The BBB was started in 1912; Al Capone was born in 1899.

The most disturbing part of your letter is it now looks as if Options Talent is not better than emodel.com, but worse. One person had already effectively called emodel "one of the biggest scams of the century." So what would that make Options Talent?

I wanted to cut them some slack (well, just a little) to see if they would be different from emodel.com, which had a horrendous reputation. They got a new president, there were rumours of firings, etc., so I waited.

Several people with first-hand experience reported emodel claimed 86% of members who paid and signed up received callbacks within 90 days. (Numbers which were never substantiated.)

[Callback: A second, or occasionally, third time a model meets with prospective clients. Usually callbacks are a strong indication a model is getting serious consideration.]

Is Options Talent now claiming 80% get work within 90 days? A callback is not a contract, and it is not work. If 86% getting callbacks within 90 days was a terrible lie, then to say 80% get work, and it is not true, is a much bigger lie.

The cost of emodel used to be $495 plus $20/month and their advertising said 86% got callbacks within 90 days. Apparently the price is up to $595 and $20/month, with 80% getting work within 90 days?

So what do we find now? A higher price and a bigger lie?

Editor, Modeling Scams.com

P.S. Wasn't Enron publicly traded? So much for Options Talent Group being publicly traded.