Detour Pictures, Inc.

Film Production Company Scam

Detour Pictures, Inc. • USA

Details

  • Position
    Director of Photography
  • Start Date
    Oct 18, 2018
  • Location
    USA
  • Rate
    This is a paid position. Rate is 1,500
  • Status
    Job has been filled

Job Description

Hello:
Please be aware of this type of scam: I just got another one of these.

You get a TEXT on YOUR PHONE from someone that says they want to hire you for a project, and they viewed your profile. They'll give you an email address and ask for a resume. Then you get an email with a link to their (terribly immature) short films that they've made.
Then they ask for a bunch of your vital information. Also, you will note from their missive that they are not native English speakers, as their verbiage is awkward, and simply not protocol for any kind of real production correspondence.

I got one last year, and they went as far as to send me a bogus check and asked me to deposit it directly into my ATM machine. Lucky for me - I recently moved out of state, and my credit union (which I kept, even though I moved) does not allow me to deposit checks into the ATM - so I had to go to a bank. The banks here were able to identify the check as a scam.
The ultimate goal was for me to assume the check was good (it would take several days for the ATM deposit to bounce), meanwhile, my guess is that they would ask me to procure some local equipment, etc and send it to them to facilitate the Short Film they are going to shoot in my region.
They even said I keep my "regular" schedule as this would only require 3 hours per week of my time. Having not recently fallen from the film-production-turnip truck, I'm quite aware of how much time it takes to make ANY kind of film, and 3 hours a week is BOGUS! ;)

They send a LOT of links to "projects" they've done. I think they probably had their nephews make these films, as they're really super cheesy, and written by junior high kids (although - that may be selling junior-high kids short).
This latest scam company is called Roll Cage Media Productions - not to be confused with Roll Cage Productions, which is legit.

It's a complicated business out there. When you are asked for all your vital info... freelancer beware.

Truly,
Rick
www.detourpictures.com

Beast avatar 35
Want us to email you jobs like these?
Sign up for job alerts. It’s free!