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Too good to be true? Tips requested on vetting a cold contact


KenLac

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Hi folks. I've recently been cold-contacted by someone who found a long-forgotten listing of mine on Media Match. This person is working for a production company in Europe, looking to produce something in the U.S.

 

The position is slightly above my bread-and-butter level of production (which tend to be small and local to my home in New England) but the contact doesn't seem to mind. But something about it is making my radar blip a bit, although I can't put my finger on it. It could be the language barrier (the e-mail has very obviously been either auto-translated or very poorly translated by someone whose first language isn't English). The details of the production keep sliding around, such as the name of the film and the production company involved (although I am aware that there's frequently a multitude of different companies involved with any one production). The production companies he has named seem legit, have Wikipedia entries even, but preliminary web searching on the contact's name and production company names hasn't turned anything up. Throw in the fact that the job in Hawaii in December, and the whole thing seems a bit too good to be true, no?

 

So I'm wondering if any of you have some feedback on how I can vet this company before getting too committed. For example: where should I search? What kinds of info should I request from him without making it sound as though I am suspicious? How could I go about linking his name to the real production companies he has referred to? Things like that.

 

Thanks for any help you can lend.

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Ya, this doesn't smell good, huh? Would a legit company really hire someone they don't know and then take on the travel expense of getting that person to and housing them in Hawaii? Are they setting you up for an advanced-funds/check-cashing scam? From the Kansas City Film Office:

 

Identifying and Avoiding Check-Cashing Scams

Over the last year, we have had dozens and dozens of reports from the Kansas City crew base that they are dealing with scammers. There is a wide-spread check-cashing scam targeting people all over the country and now our crews.

According to information we have harvested from Kansas City crew members, scammers will send a text like this:

Rest of the article:

http://www.kcfilmoffice.com/identifying-and-avoiding-check-cashing-scams/

 

I'm guessing you'll recognize the general language in the example texts. 

 

Also, there are a bunch of Europe-based mixers here on JWS. You could perhaps post the name of the production company (and the factor in that your contact may be "borrowing" a legit's company name) to find out more about them...and perhaps find a legit contact at the company...

 

Good luck!

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What Birthday Boy, Jim, said. 

 

The key to this and many other gigs is to approach it in a way that you're not out anything (except maybe some mental planning) if it falls through. Avoid advancing any money of your own or sending your gear ahead of time and don't let them anywhere near your bank account or other personal numbers. 

 

Even if it's legit, it could still fall through due to many factors including the logistical complexity, and you should plan not to be out anything in either eventuality. 

 

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33 minutes ago, Jim Feeley said:

According to information we have harvested from Kansas City crew members, scammers will send a text like this:

Rest of the article:

http://www.kcfilmoffice.com/identifying-and-avoiding-check-cashing-scams/

 

I'm guessing you'll recognize the general language in the example texts.

 

Hoo boy, that is DEAD-NUTS ON! Thank goodness my Spidey-Sense still works. And thank goodness for JW Sound Group!

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