Contact 6: Tips on modeling careers for young girls

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A career in front of the camera can bring in some serious cash, but FOX6's Contact 6 has some tips on how to avoid modeling heartache.

Like the modeling profession itself, an offer to a young girl was seductive.

"The modeling agency sent this young girl an email stating that she could start modeling classes which could help her start modeling professionally," U.S. Postal Inspector Lori McCallister said.

In the email, she was asked for her weight, waist size and for three photographs.

"She received a check for $2,500. They said all she had to do was pay the royalties and the taxes on that check and that would help her get introduced into the modeling agency," McCallister said.

The problem: postal inspectors found it was a scam.

"This was a counterfeit check and thankfully the mother realized her daughter was being scammed," McCallister said.

Investigators say this scam reflects an alarming trend.

"It shows now that the suspects and people committing these crimes, they are now going after college students and even younger potentially," McCallister said.

Fraudsters are often trolling to see who is visiting various websites and then target them with a scam.

"If you have a passion for anything, you should be the one that is reaching out to these types of schools. Whether it is modeling school, art school, or anything like that you should be the one looking online requesting further information," McCallister said.

Postal inspectors say be weary of websites you don't know or that don't appear to be legitimate, and never open emails from unknown addresses.

If a modeling agency wants money, walk away!