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I filled out an app for Reality Wanted.com in late July and received a call from a Frank Romo in early August.  He said I had passed the first review to be considered for Extreme Makeover Home Edition.  He wanted 288.xx to represent me and claimed he would put in the other 400.00.  Our family doesn't really have this to spare and we couldn't come up with it all at once.  I told him I could come up with 100.00 this week and am supposed to call him back, but after reading all these comments, I think I will just keep my money instead and buy food for my family and supplies for the new grandbaby coming in 5 weeks.  It MAY be legit, but I can't take that chance.  I'd hate to have to travel 3000 miles to beat some scammers [***], but if I got cheated out of my hard earned money, I might just have to!

Saw your post, snglemom, and feeling for you!  I'm not a single mom, lucky enough to have a good fellow (finally!), but we ARE having a rough time of it financially, so I know where you're coming from.  (We have 6 kids (grown, 2 live with us) and 5 grandkids and 2 on the way) I also talked to Frank Romo - I applied to be on Extreme Makeover Home Edition through RealityWanted.com.  I have not sent anything yet - was checking on the Web to see what popped up, and lo and behold..... I think I may wait and use the form on the actual CBS Extreme Makeover Home Edition website instead.  It doesn't appear to cost anything so far, just making a video.  Best of luck to you, hope you don't get burnt.  I almost sent money.  It may be a mistake - could be I'd have got on the show, but I need the money to feed my family and buy stuff for the new baby coming in 5 weeks, so can't take that chance!

Received the exact same information and also the same guy Kenny Browser, now that I see all of these with the same thing, I am thinking this is truly a scam.  He emailed me twice yesterday and called this morning wanting the 288.75 for the talent cards and wanting me to sign a contract.  I too am researching this "company". This day and time asking for nearly 300.00 is alot.

Yes, I got the same call about 30mins. ago...sounded to good to be true and when he (Patrick Morrison) asked for the famous $288.75 that sunk the ship for me. So after the call I decided to do some research and this ladies and gentlemen is what I found. You can also visit the site your self to read the rest of the information...this is just part of it: www.sag.org/casting-scams

There are certainly many legit companies that offer a chance to meet and read for casting agents and directors in a classroom setting; but be aware that if any fee is charged for these sessions, your participation may be in violation of SAG Rule 11 or California Labor Laws.

SAG Rule 11
Section 11 of the SAG Rules and Regulations states, in part: It shall likewise be deemed conduct unbecoming a member for any member of the Guild, directly or indirectly, to give or offer to give any money, gift, gratuity or other thing of value to an employer, or prospective employer, to any officer, agent, representative or employee of such employer or prospective employer, or to any employment or casting agency representing an employer, or prospective employer, or to any of their officers, agents, representatives or employees as an inducement to secure employment. This rule shall not apply to prohibit the payment of lawful commissions to motion picture agents holding franchises from the Guild.

If you are asked to pay a fee or give any form of compensation to audition for a casting director, producer, agent, manager, or anyone else that has any input into the hiring process, please contact Gavin Troster of the Hollywood office at 323/549-6809 to report the incident. This includes workshop-style situations where a casting director watches your scene or monologue, offers no meaningful critique or feedback, and is presented as someone looking for actors for “current and upcoming projects.” This becomes a paid audition, which is against SAG rules.

California State Labor Code prohibits employers or potential employers from demanding payment for employment opportunities; you should contact your state labor board to inquire whether they have similar laws. The Hollywood office has notified the California Labor Department about violations of this section, and Guild members should likewise not hesitate to contact their state or their SAG branch regarding violations. The more people that stand up and protest these practices, the more likely it is that action will be taken.

Now, there are certainly legitimate classes offered by casting directors and producers. The difference is that these classes are in fact ongoing, “traditional” acting classes, during which acting instruction is offered rather than being simply a one-time paid audition. California recently set guidelines for casting director workshops to distinguish the legit ones from those that, for a fee, offer only a vague hope of being remembered for some future role. California members can get a copy of the guidelines by contacting the California Labor Department, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Department of Industrial Relations.

Here are a few examples of what SAG considers to be paid auditions:

Don't Pay Reality Shows

Reality shows have taken over the television airwaves and with them yet another twist on the This-Is-Your-Big-Break-If-You-Have-$50 theme. Typical of these new schemes is a company that faxed the Guild recently asking staff to contact our members to urge them to audition for a talent-search program geared towards actors. The come-on was that those chosen would be seen by millions, including, it would seem, casting directors, producers, agents, and managers. And all for a small fee that is refunded should the actor make it past the first cut. A good deal, right? When the Guild attempted to contact this company to clarify the set up, we did not get a response: no call, no email, and no letter. We can only conclude that this was an attempt to get money from actors—one that may have netted the company a hefty amount of money from those who sent in their application fee. Also, be aware that some of these reality shows are made under AFTRA contracts for which you may or may not have to become an AFTRA member. Check with SAG and AFTRA membership departments before accepting work.

Greg.s called me today and said i would be a perfect girl for his casting.. he sent me a contract and wants to fly me down in 2 weeks for and audition.. he said everything will be paid for but he alos asked me to pay 288.00 for the cards... i don't know about this.. but sounds so good... he even said he would fly my husband,kids and me if i didn't want to leave them and it was all payed for... if someone has done this and worked out let me know please....

e-mail kec13_13@hotmail.com

This guy has called me telling me there will be castings in sep 13, for a reality tv show (how to look good naked) by now I'm sure he is a scam!! i have sent him money $288.00 and still waiting on my comp card.I was totally aware that this can be a scam,but tried it anyway,well it is,but if i can help many others from falling into the same scam my $288.00 where well spent.Oh and just in case you where wondering about my account, i sent him a pre-paid visa.

this is all a scam, i tried it,and found out the hard way ):

hey i got a call with the same guy frank romo called me and said to call him back that i passed the screening process i just thought id look hin up to see his work and i see all this lol i say i aint gonna call dat romoass back lol he doesnt even have anything to show for himself on the internet no one should give money to b on tv they should be paying you smarten up people im glad i looked him up!!

i just sent my payment info to kenny bowser then found this site please let me know if you have done the same and if you got good or bad from it. but like someone else said it is a tax write off

robin0206@hotmail.com


thanks

So we all have similar stories and have bumped into a dead end. This might help,I called the Better Business Bureau to see if H.N.E "HOLLYWOOD NORTH ENTERTAINMENT" was legit and they are not listed with the company,I called another acting agency, they have never heard of H.N.E. If you have not sent money yet your luck!! If you have sent money and still going in circles,I have good new for you my friend, call your bank a/s/a/p and dispute it,wright a detailed letter about your situation name,address,original receipt if have one and a police report anything that can help your case then FAX all this and there is a possibility you could get your money back,I know someone who already did, Thank GOD!! finally a happy ending regarding these B/S people!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!

A woman named Stephanie called me this morning from HNE Castings. I was told I had to pay 288.75 for the cards and that it was gauranteed I would get on a show. I am not sure about all of this. I went to their website, and to me, if you represented all of these shows, you would have a much more detailed website. And they don't tell you anything about a fee on there.  If anyone finds out anything, please contact me at: ksmoma4two@aol.com

How did you find out it was a scam? What happened? Alot of people are saying that...but there are no details. I have been contacted by him myself and checked HNE out with the BBB and they have received complaints and an unsatisfactory rating. When I asked Greg S about it he said that those are people they didn't want and so they are angry...but one post said that they had told the guy they were coming to meet him and never showed after they got the money. I also asked for references and happy clients and he said he couldn't because of their "privacy policy"...I also asked for them to pay for the photos and deduct it out of my first job and he said they couldn't but would let me go with a printer near me...which makes it sound more legit if I am not handing them money but I have no idea still because he won't let me talk to anyone. I also called the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce..they are not listed..not a big deal...but also called the Business License office...again they are not listed and that's a little more of a big deal but still it happens. Anyway, they are now going to contact HNE for money for their business license! LOL So she said it is a commercial district for their office...I think they have a location there because if they were in LA where all the wannabe actors live they would be hounded with visits and couldn't keep up the charade!

Oh, one other thing..If you look up Greg S on www.peoplefinders.com there is no one by that name registered as living in the state of CA. Because of this I looked up most of the other agents and most of them seemed to be there. I was starting to wonder though if Greg S was a fake name because they are doing a shady business. Anyone can be found on that web site (enter your own first and last name and that of your friends) so I found this odd to say the least...I still wish I really knew if this was a scam. While you never hand money to an agent (I acted years ago) you almost always pay for your own photos...because this is reality TV, I don't know the rules of the game and enough about this industry to understand if there really are agents and you really can make 40-65,000 as he mentioned. He said it's changing because of the writer's strike which makes sense but who knows?

Last but not least, if someone wants to (I honestly don't want to spend the money) there is a reverse phone lookup. Just google it and you can pay I believe $10 to find the owner's name to a phone...which might give a clue if someone is using a fake name. Also did anyone notice that most of the numbers don't match even though they are apparently all in the same office? Why would some numbers be 415-287-xxxx then 415-839-xxxx etc...I only saw 2 numbers that were sequential...I think they were for Greg S and Tony (Frank?) Romo.

Can you tell us more?

What happened?

I'm a member of AFTRA and am about to call. But just to clarify, actors usually pay for their pictures, headshots, or zed cards (for models). So what they are asking for with the $288 isn't unrealistic...that's why it's making it hard to tell if they are a scam but it certainly seems so. A scam would be "Pay us xyz for training where you can meet casting directors of primetime shows" etc...These are most of the glam scams but pictures...well that's questionable. Whoever they are, they are smart.

if they said you have to pay the money, WHY if you are going to get it back anyways.  you shouldent have to pay.did you get a contract made up before you give them your money? im sorry but you lost it.

phone # 415-839-8760
     san francisco california
i was talking to frank romo tonight,and he said i can go on a game show  
next month.but he wanted $288.00 before he would do my cards,he said i would get the money back.why would i have to pay,if im going to get it back anyways.i came close to give him my credit card # how can i give frank romo any money if their is no contract, im not stupid. i think frank romo should find a real job instead of sitting on his [***] and stealing money offing hard working people.

Yeah, that guy Greg S. called me too. He said they needed $288 to create my "portfolio" so he can promote it to shows. It sounds like a scam, seeing as though this agency has no address listed. These guys probably have an apartment or something, and they listed their cell phones as their work lines. I noticed that this guy didn't shut up on the phone, and wouldnt even let me ask questions, which made me think this is a scam. He pretty recited what I assume is his act to everybody, almost like a telemarketer trying to sell a product. They will keep talking and say anything that will sell to you. Ex. He called me twice and gave me two different ranges for my salary. First, he said 20-30 grand per episode, then he said 20-40 grand the next time i talked to him. This is probly because he tells people different numbers, but all good amounts. He musta forgot how much he told me, because he added an additional 10 grand the next time. If anyone can prove that these guys are legit, let me know. I am not sure if this is a scam, but I have a pretty good feeling it is and I'm not giving these guys a god damn dime until I meet in person and get a written contract.