Please read the following notice of a local RTP modeling company fraud. It may save you or someone you know from being a victim. I personally used to work for them and recently resigned when I found out what they are all about.

Help spread the word! Pass this on...
E-MODEL / OPTIONS TALENT GROUP
I am an ex-employee/victim myself. Please pass this along to everyone you know... the word needs to get out that these people are taking advantage of innocent, hopeful people EVERY DAY in your neighborhood!

Visit: www.modelingscams.com

Click on "letters"
Click on "e-model, options talent" and read "FRAUD INVESTIGATION REPORT"...

Please read my story:

It's simple...they advertise for scouts on respected sites such as Monster.com with appealing ads like "DreamJob." "$30,000+." Once you respond, they e-mail you back a confirmation letter for an interview. When you get to the interview, you are at a cattle call... a room filled with hopeful people. They give you a long, glamorous speech about the company and what they claim it is all about, show a very well-done web site with famous people listed on it, even the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, (whose name they PAID to use) and explain how the "digital comp card is revolutionizing the modeling industry."

Models pay $495+ depending on their "package upgrades" to have a digital headshot listed with the company. For more pictures, it cost an additional $15 per photo. They claim that "top agencies use their site," but all of the ones called recently either said they don't use them, would never use them, have not heard of them, or are currently in law suits trying to get Options Talent to stop using their name.

Next they make you wait to go into the office for a one-on-one interview to find out if you will be "invited back" for training the next day. You are EXPECTED to be there if you want the job and are unethically EXPECTED to drop all other job responsibilities in order to be there. (Even though they do these EVERY week!) By the time you get to being "invited" back, which EVERYONE is invited back, (with the exception of the ones who ask too many questions), you are so excited you accept. The next day you are "trained" for a few hours on how to scout and what to look for, and then you are turned lose for 3 hours in a group to go out and "Scout." What you are scouting for is anyone you can flatter enough and who isn't totally disgusting, to get to show up for an "Open Call." The open calls are held every week, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 7PM and Saturday 1PM. You are told to make it seem "special" and only give them two choices for days they can come in to be "evaluated" for modeling.

You give them a card with your scout ID on it, and explain that it is "by invitation only", which it is not. You say that to get them to bring your card in so if they "enroll" you get credit. (After a month I finally got a commission check for a few enrollments at $25 per enrollment) You are told that you need to have 25 enrollments during your "training period" in order to become a full-time salary scout. It is next to impossible, so you keep trying to get all of your enrollments, meanwhile working against somewhere around 50 active "scouts" in the area, who are all making the company a minimum of $495 per person who enrolls.

While trying to scout, you are asked to do extra office work, work Open Calls, go out-of-town to do modeling searches and promotions (At YOUR expense) all in hopes of making money ONE DAY with the company. I know of one person who actually got on salary while I worked there, and that was because she was a prominent and well-respected older lady who knew everyone in the community. They put her on salary because they made so much money off of her! She was also used as "motivation" for the other scouts.

Well, after a while, the scouts go broke, some have their cars repossessed, etc. and eventually quit, feeling like they just weren't good enough. They usually don't resign, and are never called when they don't show up one day. The company doesn't care. They have used them for all they can use them for, and there's a new group in each week wanting to take their place, anyway.

I was personally a rare case...they hired me to do their promotions in the area and get a good name for them established, mainly because of all of my connections in town. I was expected to keep "model relations" up as well, by e-mailing and calling our "models" who enrolled and making them seem special, like we were trying to help them get jobs. Really they just wanted me to try to sell them upgrades!!! All along, I knew something just wasn't right, but I kept believing in the franchise owners I worked for. They tried really hard to be my friend, came over to my house and hung out with my boyfriend and I, went out to clubs with us, (wanting to make connections in the community and get to know all of the club and restaurant owners!) borrowed my car, discussed their personal issues, etc. It was like they really cared about me! I knew that the company had been E-Model, since the name E-Model was still up on the building when I started working for them.

They assured me and everyone else that the company had been "bought out" by Options Talent and it was a new, respectable business. WRONG! After recently investigating this company, I found out that Mark and Kim, the franchise owners of the Raleigh/Durham, NC Options Talent, originally opened as E-Model, which was a "Complete Scam" as quoted by one BBB.

Well, if you read up on the company like I have, you will find that they are the same company under a new name operating the SAME WAY! Same scams! I resigned yesterday, and I feel terrible for ever being a part of that company. I am currently filing a law suit against them, and I hope everyone who has ever had any contact with them will report them to the proper authorities. See www.modelingscams.com/victims.html for info on what you can do if you are a victim. The more reports to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) the better. They can be shut down completely, just like "Miss Cleo" was.

Good luck, and if I scouted you, please accept my sincere apologizes.

Sha404@cs.com
Shari

Credible references on E-Model/Options Talent:

1. Story from the Virginian-Pilot, a well readnewspaper: "Disputed eModel president has 2 fraud convictions..."  http://www.pilotonline.com/business/bz0128ran.html
2. Story from Surf Metro, of the bay area, California: "The Dream Boat" Their pitch screams "scam" but hopefuls hear "model"  http://www.surfmetro.com/SurfReport.php?pageAction=viewArticle&ArticleID=21303
3. Better Business Bureau-Houston (where Mark and Kim are from!) did an undercover investigation on the Houston office... http://hurdmanivr.com/hous/commonreport.html?compid=12000195
4. E-Model's original web site, selling a book on modeling advice...when the owner has no background in the modeling business! http://www.e-model.net
5. E-Model farewell...all a lie...still the same company! www.emodel.com
6. Detailed fraud investigation report...done by Fraud Investigation Online (Click on the highlighted blue words to reveal more info.as you read along http://www.modelingscams.com/emodel.com.all.html
7. Lawsuits against the company... http://www.modelingscams.com/emodel.options.talent.lawsuits.html
8. e-model.com (now Options Talent) Questions to ask the company... http://www.modelingscams.com/emodel.optionstalent.questions.html
9. More on modeling scams...emodel.com (now Options Talent) complaints http://www.modelingscams.com/emodel.options.complaints.html
10. Ford Models statement http://www.modelingscams.com/emodel.options.complaints.affiliation.html
11. False statements made by corporate pretending to be models...traced through ip address back to the Orlando office http://www.modelingscams.com/emodel.options.complaints.forums.html
12. News story...aired on 11-26-01... http://www.fox2ktvi.com/c2/20011126.html
13. New Times Article published in Palm Beach... http://www.newtimesbpb.com/issues/2001-09-06/news.html/print.html
14. Modeling Scams...Fraud Investigation Online... Check out the hilighted blue items for more info...in addition to previous fraud report listed... http://www.modelingscams.com/letters.emodel.options.talent.022.html
15. Second article in the Virginian-Pilot.... http://www.pilotonline.com/business/bz0128mod.html
16. Monster.com job search...."Dream Job" same job posting listed for all Options Talent franchise offices....hiring a large group of scouts every week is part of the deal....Monster.com dropped them as E-Model... www.monster.com (can click on "see all Options Talent group opportunities" at the bottom of any Options ad...it will show 377 ads that are exactly the same for all offices....
17. MOST IMPORTANTLY, this site has letters posted from unhappy models/scouts/etc. with very informative answers and suggestions given by Fraud Investigation Online... http://www.modelingscams.com (sorry...you have to get to this one...Click on "Letters" then click on "e-model, options talent" then read all 26 letters and responses. VERY INFORMATIVE!
18. Suggestions to Victims....how to take action... http://www.modelingscams.com/victims.html
19. A true list of legitimate modeling companies... so far, the ones called either do not use or would not use Options Talent, and some haven't heard of them! http://www.directory.google.com
    Search for North American Modeling Agencies
20.   Check out all of the negative comments placed in Model/ Entertainment Industry forums about OptionsTalent and E-model.  (keep in mind a lot of the positive comments are fake comments from corporate, as the Fraud Investigation stated and proved.

Do your own search... too many to list here!

Read about the experience others have had with this scam and get info from people in your local area in the SIGHTINGS & LOCATIONS section. If you have had any experiences with the Options Talent - eModel Scam, please share your experience with others, because only through the sharing of information can we help others.