Representation or Exploitation? Spotting Rogue Agents
Are you suspecting an agency you are represented by, or are meeting with, may be a scam? Or are they seemingly ‘legitimate’ but acting unlawfully?
For actors, signing with an agent is meant to be an exciting stepping stone to opportunities, support and career development. But sometimes, that dream can become a nightmare for some - either through outright scams, or by “legitimate” agents behaving unlawfully. Both are happening in the industry right now.
It’s important to know the difference:
Scams are usually “con artists” or opportunists masquerading as agents or casting professionals, with no real intention of helping you or your career outside of what serves them.
Unlawful conduct happens when a real, registered agent or agency breaks the law, exploits their position, or puts profit above their clients.
Sadly, both can cost actors money, security, and emotional wellbeing.
Here are some of the biggest red flags to watch for, drawn from real cases The 98% has helped with:
🚩 Upfront Fees, Pay-to-Play, or Hidden Costs
UK law is clear: agencies cannot charge upfront fees to join.
⚠️ Watch out for:
Promises of representation, but only if you pay an upfront free, or attend their workshops or classes, or pay for any service through the agency, or somewhere they may get a commission or “cut” from (photographers, headshots, videographers etc)
“Free” gifts or opportunities that turn out to have hidden costs, or “free workshops/webinars” that turn into a big sales pitch for other services like classes or workshops.
Pressure to continue paying for classes/workshops through sister companies or else it may affect how you are represented.
🚩 No Companies House Record, or, A History of Liquidations
Legitimate agencies in the UK should be registered with Companies House, and their filings should be publicly accessible. If you can’t find any trace of a company, or if the same names keep appearing on dissolved or liquidated companies, that’s a major warning sign.
⚠️ Watch out for:
No listing on Companies House despite claiming to be a “registered” agency.
An agency trading under one name but with no matching company registration.
A trail of liquidated companies under the same directors, often followed by a new agency popping up.
People using multiple different names, or variations of the same name, on Companies House, so as to avoid people connecting the dots of what may have happened with previous companies.
Excuses for why the business “doesn’t need” to be registered or why finances are run through a separate company.
🚩 Requests for Personal or Financial Information, Or Misusing This Information
Legitimate agents should not need sensitive details like your passport, bank login, or government ID number beyond what is required for lawful contracts and payment.
⚠️ In the industry, concerns around this has looked like:
Restricting access to online profiles in your name (like your Spotlight profile).
Retaining passport information unnecessarily.
Offering to falsify records or “work around” official paperwork.
Advising on how to flub credits, fake experience, or work around industry guidelines and specifications.
🚩 Manipulation Through Oversharing
Some scammers and rogue agents disarm actors by oversharing emotional stories about themselves. This builds false trust and creates guilt when you try to ask questions.
⚠️ Examples include:
Stories about personal illness, poor mental health, or struggling family members.
Claims they are “working out of their own pocket” as if doing you a favour.
Shocking personal tragedies happening whenever the agent is confronted or questioned.
Crossing professional boundaries by talking about inappropriate things like drug use or things of an explicit nature.
Turning to you for emotional support or divulging confidential information to you.
🚩 Inconsistencies and Contradictions
Scammers and rogue agents often contradict themselves, change stories, or drop names that can’t be substantiated.
⚠️ This has looked like:
Multiple conflicting stories about illness.
Badmouthing ex-clients or industry professionals that speak against them, to bolster their narrative.
Using names of people that don’t exist.
Claiming connections with industry professionals without evidence, or doing a hard sell about how “well connected” they are.
Befriending professionals simply to appear legitimate.
Emails being signed off by people you’ve never met, or names without a surname/separate email address.
Using multiple different names or aliases.
Claiming they are a victim of a ‘witch hunt’ if previous behaviours catch up on them.
🚩 Intimidation, Threats, or Aggression
One of the clearest red flags: if someone tries to scare you into compliance.
⚠️ Examples actors have shared include:
Threats of blacklisting.
Threats of ‘legal action’ or ‘defamation’ in an attempt to silence someone speaking out or seeking help.
Verbal harassment, blackmail, or emotional abuse.
Statements like “You should be lucky I’m working with you” or “How dare you contact xyz without going through me.”
Being told it is unprofessional, or forbidden, for clients to speak directly to casting or production professionals.
Feeling like they are lauding their ‘power’ over you.
🚩 Withheld or Manipulated Pay
By law, agents must pay actors within 10 days of receiving payment. Anything else is unlawful. Even if an agency states in their contract that it takes 3-6 months (or more) to be paid - that does not make it lawful. Once an agent is given money by a production company that money belongs to the actor and should be sent onto them within 10 days.
⚠️ Tactics The 98% has seen:
Claiming payment hasn’t been received yet from production (when it has).
Claiming the invoicing was wrong.
Being told the finance person is away or cannot process payments right now.
Claiming they only pay during a certain window per month.
Paying in small, inconsistent chunks.
Telling clients they are experiencing “cash flow issues” (an agency should never have issues with cash flow as all pay must go into a separate client account and sent directly on to the actor.)
Claiming your fee was lower than it really was.
Sending money without a remittance.
Sending random deposits into actors bank account without a paper trail or remittance.
“Double dipping” (charging production a fee to cover the actors commission, but then also taking commission from the actor and therefore making double commission. Agents can do one or the other - not both.)
Telling actors to invoice a separate company in order to receive their pay.
Contracts signed on your behalf without you being sent a copy.
Not being informed, up front, of the payment terms before auditioning for/working on a job.
Remittances missing important information like how much the agency was paid, and when.
🚩 Unusually High or Hidden Commissions
Legitimate agents take 10–20% depending on the medium. Anything more is considered quite high.
⚠️ This has looked like:
Charging 20–30% (or higher).
Double dipping: charging production a fee and taking commission from actors.
Taking deductions for “admin” or “processing” without your consent.
Taking commission on fees that are not allowed by law (ie chaperone fees, per diems)
🚩 Overly Large Rosters With Little Personal Contact
If an agency represents hundreds of actors with no meaningful engagement, it’s unlikely they’re advocating for you or give much care to personal development and career management.
⚠️ Signs include:
Never being able to get a meeting.
Not meeting face to face before signing.
Always being dealt with by assistants, never the named agent.
Your questions going unanswered for weeks or months.
Not being able to see online how many clients are attached to the agency.
Agency only putting ‘select’ people on the website (that they can use to advertise themselves with).
Your experience of the agent being vastly different to someone else’s, especially if the other person is working lots (ie the agent favours actors bringing in money, and treats those who aren’t badly).
🚩 No Contract, or Only “Terms & Conditions”
Legitimate representation should always come with a signed contract that clearly outlines commission, payment timelines, responsibilities, and termination clauses. A vague set of “terms and conditions” to tick a box is not enough to protect you.
⚠️ Watch out for:
Being asked to agree verbally or by email, without a formal contract.
Only being given a generic PDF or website link of “T&Cs” with no signatures.
Resistance or hostility if you ask for a proper contract.
Clauses that contradict UK law (e.g. stating you’ll be paid months after production pays them).
Clauses or terms and conditions that don’t feel right, or keep changing.
🚩 Lack of Transparency or Paper Trail
Opacity is a huge red flag and it’s easy to use the smoke and mirrors of the industry to hide bad behaviour.
⚠️ Examples:
No remittance slips or contract copies.
Refusing to send proof of submission or proof of payment from production.
Using only WhatsApp or texts, avoiding email for anything official.
Trust Your Gut
The most common phrase I hear from actors after the fact is: “I knew something felt off, but I ignored it.” Your gut, and instincts, are powerful. Don’t ignore them. Con-artists and rogue agents rely on that silence. On the flip side, those who walked away early often avoided months (or years) of stress, financial loss, and trauma.
If something doesn’t sit right - trust yourself.
What To Do If You Suspect Misconduct
Don’t ignore the signs. Talk to peers and check trusted resources.
Document everything - emails, contracts, texts, payment records.
Report unlawful behaviour to official bodies (such as the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, Equity, Spotlight or Action Fraud).
Visit our Education and Resources page for guides, red flag checklists, and next steps.
Don’t feel shame, or embarrassment, people who exhibit this kind of behaviour are often very good at what they do and very savvy with who they target. Being conned or exploited isn’t an example of how “foolish” or “stupid” you are - it’s an example of their calculated exploitation. Use your experience to help warn and protect others.
Read this post.
Remember:
An agent should fight for your career, not feed off your ambition. If their priority is your money, not your fulfilment and progression - it’s time to ask whether you’re really being represented, or used.
Written by Alexa Morden
Learn more about tactics used by rogue agencies from cases exposed by The 98% including the Bodhi Talent Scandal and the Lucy Harrison Casting scam.