(This
first paragraph repeated from main page)
First
of all, so that there are no misunderstandings... we are not a model agency.
We do not give you any promises of becoming a 'super' model or a 'star'. We are
a web design business
and we help models, photographers and others to establish professional web sites
on the net. This site has been established to help you see how good we can make
models / photographers look online, but we also offer FREE stuff for your
convenience; link exchange, forum,
tips, profiles
and contests!
Since
the inception of the internet it seems that every criminally minded cyber
wolf has tried to prey on lost sheep better known as web surfing hopefuls. 'Work
at home', 'Get rich quick', 'Become a Super Model' and other
phrases seem to coax unsuspecting persons to sink into their pockets on a 'whim
and a prayer'.
There
are many good info sites that can help you recognize the truth from the lies,
such sites are listed on our links page. However,
you should make sure that any online business is registered, certified in what
they do and have strong testimonials to back what they say.
How
do I check them out? A good start is your local Better Business Bureau. However,
many countries like the one we operate in do not have a recognized institution
for this online so then what do you do?
Check
the people they do business with and get feedback to see if they are all they
appear to be. Every upstanding business should have a testimonial or portfolio
and a way to get in touch with the people listed in that portfolio or testimonial.
Beware of suitcase offices. (People who seem to be always on the move with no
real base for their business).
/\
(left top pic) Crimes of Persuasion, by Les Henderson, one of the top books
out there and available for you to educate yourself in order to be shielded from
con artists, thieves, fraud and scams. We are also featured on this site.
Here
is an excerpt from their mission statement available on their site:
"Our
Mission To inform the public, along with law enforcement personnel, justice
officials and victim support groups on the workings and scope of telemarketing
and investment fraud so that efforts can effectively be taken to minimize the
impact on its victims and ensure that adequate penalties are in place to deter
the perpetrators."
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Top of Page
Another
thing you can do is do a WHOIS search. Take the domain name and compare ownership
of the domain with the web site that is extending you the offer. Compare the dates
to see if it is a fly by night site or if they have been well established. Sometimes
domains may be recently acquired so try doing a normal search in any popular search
engine using the names of the owners, the business name and other keywords that
would lead you to unbiased information about your prospective agent, manager or
designer.'
This banner can be
used - see link page first
A very good search engine is www.google.com
because they not only pickup the entrance page of a web site, but every word on
every page!
Communication
is key! Are you able to contact the business easy? Do they have real people
with which you can call and chat or is everything automated and untimely?
Strain
your eyes a bit and read the fine print. Make sure that there is a contract,
agreement or disclaimer involved. Whether it is unilateral or bilateral make sure
it sounds good to you.
If
an agency, person or other business tells you that only they can provide you
with a photographer, web site and work then run fast! You have every right to
find your own photographer, web designer, and work! You also can decide which
work you will do and not do. The only exception to this is if you signed a contract
that specifically says you will only do 'A', 'B' and 'C', etc. Obviously you will
need to BE CAREFUL what you sign!
The
real proof that it is you! The only sure way someone online can know if 'you'
are 'you' is by password / email verification / credit card info. You cannot be
charged for simply visiting a site like many scam artists are doing these days.
Imagine if after your visit here we sent you an email that stated you owe us money
for visiting our site! Crazy huh? Well, we have actually come across those that
would do this! Money can only be exchanged when there is a contract in place.
Email
verification is difficult but note: Anyone could send you an email with a
reply in the header that stated that it came from let's say, 'model_site@model_domain.com',
but the only way to know for sure would be to send an email to 'model_site@model_domain.com'
and ask if an email was sent via them. You could also view full headers which
would show through which mail server the email was sent but this is not the best
way for verification unless you are very familiar with reading IP numbers.
For
more sites that have fraud related info
and help please see the links
page
News: 
