ToolsForModelsLearning

Agency Check

Check the situation before you pay or sign.

A logo in a DM is not due diligence. Answer ten very ordinary questions before you pay, sign or send something sensitive. The tool will not pronounce an agency “good” or “fake”; it will show you where the story stops making sense.

Updated 15 September 2026By ToolsForModels Editorial
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Free · Independent · Not a modeling agency

Agency Check

IMG Models’ own recruitment warning tells applicants to verify anyone claiming to represent the agency; IMG also says it does not request nude or lingerie photos in recruitment and does not require payment. Those are IMG’s rules, not a universal law for every legitimate job — but if someone claims to be IMG, their story is very easy to check against IMG’s own page.

What has happened so far?

Answer “Yes” only when it is clearly true. Use “Not sure” when you genuinely do not know. “Not sure” is useful information — it means there is something worth checking before you keep going.

You were promised guaranteed work, guaranteed income or guaranteed acceptance.
You are being asked to pay before the purpose, amount and conditions are clearly explained in writing.
You are told you must use one specific paid photographer, course or service to be represented.
You are being pushed to sign or pay immediately.
The person exists only in DMs or messaging apps and you cannot connect them to the agency’s official site.
The email domain, phone number or payment recipient does not match information published by the agency.
Commission, deductions, cancellation terms or other money details are still vague.
You are being asked for unusually sensitive documents or inappropriate images before there is a clear professional reason and a verified contact.
Payment is requested through a strange or hard-to-reverse method such as gift cards, crypto or an unrelated personal account.
You cannot find a real company identity, address, roster, staff member or independent trace that helps verify the agency.

Country rules differ. Useful official examples: the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s modeling-scam guidance, GOV.UK guidance for modelling agencies, and the French Labour Code / applicable collective agreement. This guide is practical information, not legal advice.

FTCGOV.UKLégifrance

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