Victim Location 91345
Total money lost $100
Type of a scam Other
So this all started a couple weeks ago. A post on facebook said Social Media For Models, all I had to do was submit my instagram name and I could be signed with an agency. I put in my instagram name and I that was that. About a week later I got a text message from 12132046572 saying "Hi, Thanks for submitting to Social Media for Models, we might be interested in seeing you for an interview this week in Beverlt Hills. I will call you later between 5pm-9pm PTS or you can also call me @2132046572. We are te company that tests models for agencies and magazines., We have some pre-qualifying questions whether or not we invite you and to discuss more details. So please wait for my call.-Ann" This women ‘Ann’ called me at about 6pm and she asked me some basic questions like my age, height, weight, eye and hair color. I gave her this information and she said I can move on to the meeting process but before that she wanted to call the next day to confirm the meeting two days from then. I said okay and i hung up the phone. The next day she called and asked if I was still going to make the meeting and if I got the address she had sent to my email. I confirmed my meeting time and that I had gotten the email. 12-30-16 comes and I go to the "Beverly Hills Casting" building at 11am. I was about 6min late and two men were just walking in talking about something wrong with the mail. Erik tells me to come in and sit down while he gets everything set up and he handles some kind of mail issue. While im waiting he has me fill out this paper saying my name, address, height, weight, eye color, hair color, if I have scars, if I have beauty enhancements, and how many followers I have on all of my social media. While sitting in the front office I notice that there was a door that said Jeff Rice, but not one was in there and I hadn’t herd anyone go by that name yet. There were other posters on the wall and I assumed that these were all the people he’s worked with. Erik says that I can follow him into the back office now. Once back there he seemed really antsy, constantly shaking his leg. We were suppose to have the meeting in a group but the other girl never showed. He started off by saying that his name was Erik John (his real name is Erik DeSanto I came to find out later) and that he’s been in the buisness for 20 years. He says that he has worked with Donald Trump and that he has his own modeling agencies that he works at as well as here. Then he showed me some videos about people he has worked with and that work for Social Media For Models but everytime the video played he would talk over it so I couldn’t hear where the model actual said where they worked for. Then he told me that if I get this many followers I could be making this much money then I could do live streaming and make even more money. He continuly kept saying that all these girls, and some guys, are able to make this money through this company and the gigs that they set them up with. Then he would say they are not a talent agency, but to me it sounded like they were. DeSando even said that later in the week he was going to have some of the girls that work at Social Media For Models stream live. That sure sounds like he’s setting them up with gigs to me. Anyways, I sign this contract saying, "All sales are Final. No Refunds or Transfers. Failure to attend photoshoot could mean forfeiture of fees. Credit/Debit card processing with be through Redemption Productions and will and will appear on your billing statement in that name," (which it didn’t, it apeared as Social Media for Models), "Social Media for Models/ Redemtion Productions does not procure employment or act as an agency. Income generated by social media is at the direction of the model’s ability to attract quantity and quality of followers and we make no guarantees of income." The next page said, "I,________, hereby authorize "Redemption Productions Inc" to debit my,_
____, in the amount of __ on this (these) date(s) _____ FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICE: Social Media Training including private membership sit, 3 look photoshoot with make up, location, 3 retouches, stlist, ad social media coordinator. MY BILLING ADDRESS FOR THIS CARD IS:_________" and them I signed and dated it. The final page says, " Model Name______. Appointment time:____. Date_______. Shoot location: Melrose Lightspace (http://melroselightspace.net) is a unique 2000 sqft., loft-style space. overlooking Melrose Avenue in West Hollywoon CA at 7600 Melrose Ave., LA, CA 90046 2nd Floor. Parking on Carson ave south of the parking meters. Bring: A minimum of 3 outfits and shoes. Remember this is supposed to be somewhat sexy so make sure everything your wearing is HOT! Swimwear, lingerir, cute "going out" dress and headshot look with jeans and a nice shirt (whatever you are comfortable wearing that is sexy and hot). Be ready with clean face for makeup. The makeup we will provide will be a natural clean look ready for agency submission. *Agencies and Magazines want clean faces nothing makeup wise too over the top. Bring hair "camera ready" we will provide touchups. A friend who can shoot instagram shots for you shooting, with other models, peter Baratti, and makeup! **I understand that my debit/credit card payment to Redemption Roductions is non-refundable. I further understand that if i miss my photography appointment time this could result in me forfeiting this payment and you are still responsible for any balance due! Furthermore, any attempt to chargeback this payment or any payment made to Redemption Productions in relation to shooting photos will be considered fraudulent. A dispute will be filed immediately with the credit card provider. A complaint to reveive a judgment for 3 times the amount charged back will be filed with LA Superior Court as per the legal lemits of the law as well as a police report will be filed in responce to the false claim of fraid." I signed and dated. The reason why this is a scam is because this man, Erik John (EJ) is really Erik DeSando. He is a man known for fraud in San Francisco for doing this SAME EXACT THIS but under a different name. Erik John went as Erik DeSando comitting fraud and scaming at an agency called Be Productions. He told his clients that you just had to pay this much and then you can get your head shots and start making money, but the price kept going up. I found out all this information online at http://abc7news.com/archive/7185004/ and http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/modeltest/beverly-hills-california-90212/modeltest…⇄ Once I saw that this man was a scam artist I called my bank and cancelled the transaction. In the contract I signed it said that the billing statement would be under Redemtion Productions but it wasn’t, it was under Social Media for Modeling. The contract also said that any attempt to chargeback this payment or any payment made to redemption productions in relation to shooting photos will be considered fraudulen, but I never payed anything to redemption procutions, I payed to Social Media for Models. This man needs to be sent to jail because he’s done this to too many people.