| We are constantly in a state of waiting for that next job, so when you get an email that says, “We would love to have you voice ___” It’s hard not to jump at the opportunity and flattered that someone is choosing you. But…be cautious! There are VO scams out there and here’s how to spot them. Before we jump in…please remember to BE CAUTIOUS of ANYTHING outside your/an agent! That goes for websites that others have referred you to! |
| How to Spot a VO Scam 1| They ask YOU to PAY anything up front I know this may seem obvious but you should never be paying a client. 2| The client/company does not have a strong web presence. Make sure that you can find a good website and social pages. Plus, that those match the email of your contact. Maybe your contact is a freelancer, though. What then? Make sure that freelancer has a solid LinkedIn page specifically stating that they do work for that company and that they’re connected with other people in that company. 3| They ask you to REIMBURSE them for overpayment or other services. Doug Turkel wrote a great blog post all about a particular scam that does this very thing. Doug wrote the post 7 years ago but I heard about someone who recently encountered the scam. 4| It seems TOO good to be TRUE If they send you a rate, always compare with the GVAA rate guide. If it seems way too high…make sure there’s no fine print. There was an E-Learning job someone showed me on a pay to play that was going to pay $8,000 for the job, which is incredible, right? Who wouldn’t jump at that. But looking at what was involved, it would be days and days and days of recording and editing that normally would pay upwards of $25,000. |
| While this may not be a scam, be very careful of pay to play sites. Remember…you are the one that has to look after you in those scenarios. The majority of pay to play sites cater to the end client NOT the VO talent. If the site isn’t transparent about rates and where they base the rates off of, stay clear. -Mike & Heidi |