Hi, I keep getting messages from "Producers" on Stage 32 offering services. Shortly after, their accounts are either suspended or deleted. Normally, they have a picture and name of a producer with a notable filmography on IMDB. Are these fake accounts people are creating to scam filmmakers?
Thanks,
Pablo Bobadilla
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Hi, Pablo Bobadilla. Yes, they're fake accounts people create to scam people, or they're real accounts that are trying to scam people. If you ever run into a scam on here, email support@stage32.com with the person’s name, their Stage 32 profile link, and screenshots of their messages to you. If you can't take screenshots, copy and paste their messages when you email Support.
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I've been scammed once, outside S32' platform, by a guy impersonating Chad Oman from Jerry Bruckheimer. That guy lured me to Jakarta for a casting which never took place... Since then I'm doing my due diligence...
When I receive an email first, I do a background check: how long that producer has been on S32 although this is not necessarily relevant. However, if it's a newly created account my skepticism creases naturally and I keep digging on IMDb and later on LinkedIn. Once IMDb and LinkedIn check out the big question surfaces: is the person from S32 the real deal?
When the scammers asks me to send my unsolicited material to them I ask for an email address... I like to act blur to lower the scammer's guard. An established company has their website and their own domain with their professional email account and this email is listed on IMDb. So when that person provides a generic gmal address, 99% is a scam. And I know, that 1% sucks.
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Thanks Pablo Bobadilla and @leonidasstanescu for your posts about this. I recently corresponded with a producer from a known entity and when he asked me to email him at a generic gmail address I figured it was a scam. Yep. I see that his account has been suspended. SIGH.
Wasn't there someone on this site claiming to be Lindsey Lohan?
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Hi Kevin Hager, I would not be surprised if someone was impersonating her. I think we all have to recognize that people in that category would be unlikely to create a Stage32 profile.... what would be the point for them? When I rec'd an email from a producer at a well known company the first thing I noticed was the generic "cut and paste" language of '"looking to collaborate, blah blah blah" and with a little bit of research on Reddit I found the exact paragraph that was in my email sent to many other writers. Predators.
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We, the artists, are one of the easiest targets for scammers. We need to know how to protect ourselves and try to keep cool that euphoric moment we experience while reading that first message; Gmail accounts (although I use one), copy and paste (although some real production companies do indeed paste and copy unfortunately)... To me to me, the ultimate proof of scam is when I request the videocall; those reaching out impersonating someone, are reluctant to show their faces for obvious reasons.