Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Fake claims target showbiz wannabes
‘Talent agency’ slapped by watchdog over dodgy ad
ON one thing at least I can agree with the boss of a photo studio that targets aspiring models.
“You know about this industry – there’s all sorts of scams out there,” Sayanthan Sritharan told me.
He runs First Step Modelling, which is in trouble over an online advert that gave hopefuls the impression that it had work to offer.
“Casting Now!” the plug on Gumtree promised. “Girls and guys wanted for part-time modelling, acting, dancing work.”
The advert claimed that First Step wanted new faces for everything from magazine and catalogue work to film extras and music videos.
“We are an agency who work at discovering and promoting new talent,” it gushed.
But First Step is not an employment agency, it’s a photographic studio that sells costly picture portfolios to wannabes.
The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled the plug misleading and banned it from appearing again, following a complaint from Clive Hurst, veteran campaigner against scams in the model and acting industry.
“These portfolios are a complete waste of money,” he said. “A genuine agency never charges for test shoots.
“I’ve been exposing this scam now for 20 years and in all that time the Government’s Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has failed to prosecute or fine a single offender. There’s no deterrent.”
The Inspectorate responded by saying it regulates employment agencies, but fake companies that purport to be agencies do not come under its remit.
First Step Modelling is part of an opaque web of outfits. It claims on its website to be operated by Southwest Studios – “registered in England and Wales” – but there’s no such name to be found at Companies House.
It shares an address near Paddington in north London with another operation, Hyde Park Studios, which claims: “Our team of experts have worked with some of the biggest names in the fashion industry.”
This uses the same phone number as another website, Distinctive Models.
Its website, which is less than a year old, states: “We have more than 13 years of experience in supporting new faces to enter the modelling industry.”
Behind all of them is Mr Sritharan, known as Sammy, and his company Venus London Limited.
The 36-year-old from Sri Lanka told me that the Gumtree advert in which First Step Modelling claimed to be an agency was a mistake and was removed within 24 hours.
He explained that he originally set up as a photo studio, which was rented to supposed showbiz agencies who charged hopefuls a fee for portfolios, while he was paid a commission.
“At the end of the day what happened is some people shut down their websites and I got the blame,” he said. “It’s headache and bad reputation, so I’ve stop collaborating with anybody.”
I pointed out that his latest incarnation, Distinctive Models, is running ads on Gumtree beginning “Casting Now! Urgently Girls and Guys Wanted” which look remarkably similar to the First Step Modelling one that got him into trouble.
“How do you think I can correct them?” he asked.
My advice, for what it’s worth, was that there could be problems with any adverts that suggest he’s offering work.
And “Casting now” suggests there’s work to be had.