Nightmares end dreams of model aspirants
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When Chris Chan was stopped in the street by a "talent scout" and asked if she wanted to be a model in commercials, she leapt at the chance.
As a single woman with a large mortgage and two parents to support, the opportunity to make some much-needed extra cash looked too good to be true.
Just months later, the 30-year-old was down HK$30,000 ($3,850) and on the brink of suicide.
Chan was the victim of a well-worked scam - and one that is potentially being aided by the booming popularity of television talent shows.
Fueled by dreams of fame and fortune, young hopefuls every year are falling prey to fraudsters in Hong Kong who promise modeling or recording jobs, but instead fleece them for large sums of money.
Although official figures show a decline in complaints, they could be presenting a false picture "because many people don't report their losses for fear of appearing stupid", said Chan, who now has a Yahoo blog offering help and advice to other victims.
Statistics from the special administrative region's Consumer Council show that, as of September this year, there were 17 reports of modeling and advertising swindles, far fewer than the 48 in 2009 and 27 in 2008.
Most complaints are against companies recruiting fitting models ("living mannequins" hire by fashion house to test designs) and actors for voice overs.
Police records also suggest an overall decline in companies operating the fraud, which reached a peak in the 1990s. After a series of rigorous crackdowns and extensive publicity campaigns, the situation "has been contained", said a police spokesman, who added that the number of firms receiving complaints had reduced from 30 in 2000 to just four in 2009, a decrease of 87 percent.
However, Chan says her research shows there are roughly 20 active groups running scams citywide.
"They know the tactics to stay afloat," said the accountant. "In my experience, fraudsters operate companies for no more than three years, or until there are enough complaints against it."
The most recent case of a fake modeling agency being punished in Hong Kong was in 2005, when four people in Tsim Sha Tsui were sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for conspiracy to defraud.
Criminals who run the scam largely stick with the two most common modi operandi.
Apart from recruiting women as models and promising them jobs after charging for training or professional portraits, fraudsters also pose as trading company representatives looking for fitting models. Victims are usually told they need to wear make-up during photo shoots and are encouraged to attend a nearby beauty parlor, where they are pressured into purchasing over-priced treatment packages.
The latest twist has seen companies offer people help in launching singing careers by recording demos. However, before these "stars are discovered", they must first fork out for a state-of-the-art studio and production technicians.
Noris Tam, casting and booking manager at Grandee Model Management, said fraudsters have ruined the business of scouting for new faces in public.
"People used to have more confidence when you approach them asking if they are interested to be models," said Tam, who added that one-fourth of the clients on her company's books are from public scouting.
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