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The modelling industry is a vigorous, exciting, and flourishing business, and it is filled with hard-working models, scouts, agents, and photographers. Unfortunately, as in any business, there are some cases of people posing as industry professionals when they are not in order to take advantage of the reputation ethical professionals have built for themselves.
Modelling Safety – How to Protect Yourself from Online Predators
These cheaters count on the good reputation and trust that genuine agencies and scouts have built within the industry and use it to target on unsuspecting aspiring models by posing as employees, guides or agents of reputable companies when they are not.
If you are in search of a modelling agency to represent yourself, or you have been communicated by someone who says they are a model scout, but they also say that they want you to email them nude photos of yours before you get signed, you probably have a lot of questions. “Is this a real scout? Is this a standard request from a model scout? Is it safe or harmful to send naked pictures online?” The answer to all three of these questions is a resounding, “NO!”
If you receive such type of message, you likely already realize it is a red flag, and it is best to follow your gut in this situation. Luckily, there are principled and genuine model scouting companies like Modelling Agencies Mumbai that operate entirely professionally and will not ask for or require nude photos in order for you to become a model. Here’s what to do if someone says that they are modelling agency and asks you for naked photos, and why your response is so important.
Do Your Research
By now you know if you have communicated with someone who claims to work for a modelling agency or is a model scout and they ask you to send nude photographs, you are not compelled to do it.
Agents and scouts NEVER demand these types of photos in order to guide or register you. Some scouts will ask for full-body photos of you in a swimsuit, and this is normal, BUT, you should still always look into whoever is asking you to send photos before you do.
Before you respond to anyone who has communicated with you claiming to be an agent or scout always do plenty of research about who they are.
If you are a minor i.e. less than 18 years of age, never take a risk of sending any photographs or make decisions about your modelling career without informing and taking permission from a parent or guardian. Often, young people are groomed online by predators who may ask for simple photos, and then slowly over the next few weeks or months, after they’ve got your trust, will ask for nude photos.
Why It’s Important
Your online and personal security for models or anyone else especially girls and women must always be protected since the internet can be used for threatening things if users are not careful.
Even though there are zillions of readily available nude pictures for these people to find on the internet, they get a thrill from targeting innocent people and getting photos from them. Some people might use those photos for their personal use, and others might sell them to other websites. They may also try to meet you in person after they have gained your trust, which can easily turn into a potentially deadly situation.
Take Action panicking
If such thing happens and you fall victim to one of these scams, don’t get panic and blame yourself. Such kinds of people are very expert in manipulating ambitious models and have practiced for a long time. So instead of worrying and panicking, pay attention to how you will stop your photos from spreading, as well as make sure you prevent it from happening to other people.
Instead of reacting to what has happened to contact your local police station and inform them about the situation. Many police departments now have online or cybercrime units. It is very likely that you are not the only person the predator has been contacting, therefore any information you can provide to the police, however insignificant, may actually help them apprehend a very dangerous person. Save each and every email, texts or messages that you have been received and receiving till now as they can often be traced back to the person sending them.
Authentic modelling agencies and scouting companies take their reputation and your safety very seriously. Once notified that there is a problem they can post a warning on their company websites to protect models who visit their sites.
If you find that your photos have been posted online without your permission you can often get them removed by filing a complaint with the website’s hosting company. To find the name of the website’s hosting company you can do a simple WHOIS search of the site’s domain name. The WHOIS search will provide the name of the hosting company as well as the name of the website owner.
Contact or hire a lawyer. If you find that your photos were not only posted online without your permission but were also used for commercial purposes, it is sensible to contact a lawyer with experience in fraud or copyright infringement cases.
