Possible scam - Need your advice
Tue, 11 Dec 2012, 08:10 pmmusicalc13 posts in thread
Possible scam - Need your advice
Tue, 11 Dec 2012, 08:10 pmHi all. I've realized my friend and I might have been scammed by a filmmaker. It's really frustrating and we want to take action but decided to ask for your advice first.
Recently I was contacted by a filmmaker on a talent website asking me to appear on his show. Although it was good money, I didn't think I was the best fit for the role, so I declined the offer. The role required a very specific person and he was having a hard time finding the right one. So he asked me to talk to my friends to see if they are interested.
I called my friends and one of them was interested. All of us, the filmmaker, my friend and myself, met up and he explained about the role and the show. He said the payment would be ready a week after the shooting. He also added that it would be aired internationally on a major TV network. My friend agreed to pay me a portion of the money for finding him the work.
The shooting went well, and my friend and the filmmaker met again to sign a release form and a payment contract. But he didn't sign them because the payment wasn't ready and the contract was for volunteer extras ("You will receive no payment"). The filmmaker said he would fix it and re-send it, which he did last week. My friend hasn't signed them yet, just in case.
I called the filmmaker and asked when he'd make the payment. He said he wasn't sure because he hadn't even been paid by the TV network yet. ("I am paying for the show out of my own pocket") I requested a point of contact at that TV station, but he refused to provide the information.
I searched his production company on ATO's website to see it's active, and it sure wasn't enough. I feel very sorry for my friend that I had him involved in this show. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Thu, 3 Jan 2013, 08:02 amThank you, Walter Plinge, Labrug, Na and jmuzz!
Your advice really helped. I spoke to Discovery Channel and have confirmed that this guy is NOT associated with them. I also talked to him again after attempting the call several times. He said he's not sure what he could do when his reality show is "getting the most attention throughout the world right now". He wouldn't put our names and the payment amounts into the contract because he is not sure how much his "ever-existing new sponsor" will pay him. So, now he is confirmed as a scammer.
I'm a member of MEAA and will contact them to see how they could help with all this mess. I'm also thinking of contacting the Arts Law Centre, Department of Consumer Affairs and maybe NSW Police? Can I disclose the names of the filmmaker and the show? (I'm so upset! =P) Also, we never signed a release, so I guess he can't put up the footage anywhere.
Thank you!