"A man who ran at least five bogus modeling agencies and defrauded about 2,000 people in the Philadelphia area was sentenced yesterday to 3 years and one month in prison. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Weiner also ordered George Bing Tonks to pay $525,640 in restitution to victims of his scam, who paid agency fees and bought photos but never received modeling assignments." -- "Bogus Modeling Agency Owner Sentenced," Legal Intelligencer, Sept. 30, 1993
What is a photo mill?
A modeling scam in which an individual, group, photographer, agent, agency, modeling school, model manager, etc., financially exploits aspiring models or working models by engaging in continuous sales of photography and/or comp cards and/or portfolios which are overpriced, unnecessary, or by which a profit is derived at the expense of the models under the pretext getting the photography, comp cards, or portfolio will land them modeling jobs worth more than the photography-related expenses.
Red flags:
- payment is made to the agency, not the photographer
- high sales pressure
- extreme pricing
- agency recommends only one photographer
- similar to Dupont Model Management
Case Study: Dupont Model Management
"The net revenues of Dupont Model Management, Inc., during 1989 and 1990 were at least $2.1 million. All but approximately $16,070 of these revenues were derived from the sale of photographic services to prospective models." -- FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION v. DUPONT MODEL MANAGEMENT, INC. and DAVID L. DU PONT
Crimes of Persuasionon
